Ritz Knightly and the Demigods
by RurikoTsukuyomi
Summary: You think you and your dad have problems? Try having an evil Titan as your dad, then complain. The Daughter of Epimetheus is revealed as well as her BAD relationship with her father. Rated to be safe. See homepage if you wish to join this!
1. My Best Friend is a Goat

**My first Percy Jackson and the Olympians fanfiction. The beginning may be a little… Er, sketchy. I did this while I was supposedly 'banned' from the computer. So… I did it sneakily. -shifty eyes-**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Rick Riordan does!! Buuuut, I do own Ritz Knightly. :D**

**Warnings: … Wow, no warnings. Go figure. -mulls this over-**

Chapter One: My Best Friend is a Goat

My life as a half-blood started when I was attacked by a rabid looking dog about the size of a garbage truck.

Here, let me explain better... I'm sure you've heard of Percy Jackson and his amazing misadventures at saving Mount Olympus on the 600th floor of the Empire State building, right? If not, go read about his adventures, then come back to this so it makes sense...

If you have read his adventures, then you will understand what I mean when I say... IF YOU ARE A HALF-BLOOD, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! Being a half-blood is one of the hardest things any kid, especially a thirteen-year-old nosocomephobic, who is a lazy ADHD bully...

Anyway, as I mentioned, my life was ruined when I was attacked by my first monster. I was at this small park in my town, just outside of the bigger cities with my eighth grade class. We were talking about something historical that had to do with the bird crud covered statue of the town's founder. The poor statue had this boring expression with a feathery hat and whatnot... It was so lame.

I stood by my friend, Greg, who was probably taller than all the kids in my class and looked pretty weird... He had stringy brown hair that hung like spider webs from his head matching the stubble on his chin and he made me feel like a little twig sometimes. He really had problems with his legs, but I tried not to point it out. He always had a smart aleck comment.

Like, "Hey, at least I'm not scared of doctors and hospitals and cry like a big baby!"

He was right, but it was so annoying sometimes... As for me? I was completely the opposite of him with short ringlet curled black hair and dark blue eyes. I was thin, but not... Thin thin, if you catch my drift? My mother told me I had an 'hour glass' figure.

Whatever that means.

Not to mention, I dressed like a guy with baggy clothes that hung on me. For example, right now I was wearing really baggy black jeans I bought from Hot Topic and an over-sized military jacket over a black _Gorillaz_ t-shirt.

Our teacher went on a rave about the amazing history of the United States and blah, blah, blah. I was about to fall asleep when Greg suddenly jerked on my jacket sleeve.

"Ritz," He warned in his raspy, mature voice, "We should go." I gave him a sharp look, cocking a brow.

"Are you dumb?" I asked, although, it came out more meaner than I had intended it to. Greg noticed my apologetic after look, then quickly scanned the trees around the park with a nervous look. He was such a twitchy guy. I mean, I know what I'm saying when I say that because I have a very mild case of Tourettes... Where I happen to twitch every so often, but only when I was stressed. Not nervous...

"Hang on," He whispered, then his hand shot up in the air, flailing like it was on fire, "Oh! Mr. Pine! I have to pee!"

"What? Oh, sure... Buddy up, Gregory!" Mr. Pine warned, wagging a finger at him as if he were a kindergarten. Greg clasped a hand around my wrist and tore me off my feet, half dragging me to the bathrooms. I was getting a little annoyed. I mean, come on. History was boring, but it couldn't be so boring he'd want to skip... I could have sworn he was on probation or something for defending me in my last fight.

"Ritz... There's something I should probably tell you..." Greg warned carefully, his eyes watching me closely. It made me uneasy when he stared at me like that. Like he wanted to eat me or something. I took a cautious step back.

"Greg, look, I don't want to get in trouble for the third time this week, so can we just-"

"AROOOOFFF!!!" The bark practically shook me right off my feet and I tumbled into Greg, who smacked his head into the side of the fence by the bathroom. He yelped, flailing beneath me before I scrambled back. When I did, I smashed into something... Fuzzy.

I was really afraid to look up, but I had to bring myself to do it. I found myself looking at an upside down version of a very, very- and I mean VERY- large dog. My body froze up at its hungry eyes stared at me.

"Ritz, move it!" Greg shrieked, although, he was quivering like he tended to do. I think I was quivering as much as he was now, though. This thing was huge! I mean, school bus huge! And it's mouth! It was foaming with saliva that dropped down by my hand. My eyes followed the stream of saliva as I felt the color drain from my face.

"Greg..." I squeaked.

"Move!" Greg cried again. I think my mind finally registered the situation because I finally tumbled forward, dodging the dog's snapping jaws. I slammed into the fence by Greg, who was getting up on shaky legs.

"Hellhound! I've got this one!" He yelled and I could only look at him like he jumped out of the Looney Tune bin as he tore some funny looking pipes out of his pocket. I recognized them after a second as reed pipes.

I blinked, then glared at Greg. He had to be completely insane if those little sticks were going to do anything, I thought. Boy, was I wrong. Greg placed those pipes to his lips and placed a very soothing tune, a few notes bouncing out of place. I looked at the dog, expecting it to charge, but it just stared at Greg with furious eyes.

I figured he was probably going to put it asleep eventually, but I was wrong again. I had completely missed the little tree roots that were creeping through the dirt and making their way to the big dog. Or hellhound... Whatever it's called!

"Greg... What're you doing?" I asked at last, looking at him. He only glanced at me before hitting a last note that caused the roots to rip from the ground with groans. The dog freaked out big time and began to dance around wildly to avoid the tree roots, which whipped its rear end and head. I was starting to feel sorry for it, but Greg grabbed my arm and jerked me to my feet.

"Follow me!" Greg ordered firmly as he kicked off his shoes to reveal... Hooves? Now I was sure I was dreaming, so I pulled back on his grip.

"Okay, look! I don't know what's going on, but you better explain it-"

"I will if you just come with me!" Greg insisted stubbornly and tore me off my feet again, practically dragging me. The more I stared at his hooves, the more I recognized them... Satyrs had funny looking hooves like that. Satyrs were the half goat, half man mythological creatures.

Note the word: MYTHOLOGICAL. Apparently, not as false as I had thought.

Anyway, Greg dragged me, almost knocking off my military cap as we ducked through the trees. I was beginning to wonder why the others didn't notice. I mean, it was pretty hard to miss a humongous black dog and a satyr kidnapping a student.

I kept at Greg's heels now as he pulled me after him toward, what looked like, a white carousel. As we got closer, it looked like two... Pegasi!

I had to stop, knocking Greg over when I saw them. I was an artist myself, enjoying the arts of fine writing, but this... Oh... The white horses were so white, they matched the fresh snow in December. They had feathery wings that fluttered nervously in the muggy summer wind. It made me a bit uneasy, but I still couldn't help admiring their beauty.

"Cop and seat! We're off to Camp Half-Blood!"

"Camp Half-Who?"

**xxx**

I got my answer after Greg forced me to hitch a ride on the flying mule, which shot into the sky. Immediately, my stomach flew into my throat as my chest floated into my brain. I felt so light, like I could float away like paper. I kept my fingers tangled in the silvery mane of the pegasus as he rode up along side Greg, who was having seating troubles.

"NOW, will you explain to me what's going on?!" I called over the wind, pressing my cheek close to the neck of the horse. I was afraid I was going to fall any minute, but the pegasus seemed intent on keeping me on board. Greg had a grim expression as we swooped through parts in trees.

"It's hard to explain..." His voice drifted and I glared daggers at him. Oh, if he was lying to me, I was going to turn him into goat soup! I think he knew that too because he rushed to continue.

"Half-bloods, also known as demigods. They're children of the gods, part human as well. For a while now, half-bloods have been popping up like bunnies."

"Looks like the gods have been busy." I mused bitterly, only to have the sky make a very odd rumbling sound. Like thunder, I figured. Greg scowled at me, raising a finger to his lips.

"Watch your lip, Ritz. The gods are touchy."

"Are they now?"

"Ritz!"

"Sorry. Go on."

"Anyway, monsters are highly attracted to half-bloods. Like you."

"... Are you saying I'm a half-whatever?"

"... Half-blood. Yes. What surprises me, though... Is why you're undetermined."

"Undetermined?"

"A god hasn't claimed you yet."

"... Is that good or bad?" I asked, frowning at the thought. So, I was psyched about being a demigod or whatever, but... I was unclaimed. I was alone. I couldn't tell if that excited me or not. I looked at Greg curiously, watching his green eyes dart around for any more of those monsters.

"Greg... Are you telling me my dad is some kind of Greek god?" I asked. Greg nodded carefully.

"Yea... We just don't know which one, but we'll find out at Camp Half-Blood."

"What's Camp Half-Blood?"

"A camp that keeps demigods safe and sound... Or, well, close to it."

"... That's so reassuring! Thanks, Greg!" I exclaimed sarcastically, giving him a thumbs up, which quickly reverted to a thumbs down. Greg's eye twitched irritably, but he turned away to hide his annoyance. I sighed.

"So, why is it 'close to it'?" I asked. Greg frowned.

"Lately some weird things have been happening... I don't know. Monsters get past the special barrier set up around the camp."

"Barrier?"

"Trust me, Chiron will explain when we get there. He's the camp's activities advisor."

"Fascinating." I drawled icily, then jerked my head the other way, burying my fingers tighter in the horse's mane. As if life wasn't hard enough being a failure in school and considered a loser at school. If all this was real, I had to hand it to those gods. They sure knew how to torture the children on planet earth. Reminded me of the boogeyman, only less merciful...

"Greg," I said suddenly as a thought burst into my mind like an avalanche, "What about my mom?" My mother's face burst into my head. Her dark curly hair tied into a ponytail, her chocolate colored eyes warm like, well... Chocolate. She and I didn't really get along when it came to school or anything personal, but we had fun together when it came to shopping and eating... Especially eating.

"Don't worry, your mom's known this time would come. Chiron will let you send her an Iris-message." Greg assured. I glared at him.

"Who the heck is Charon and what's a Virus-message?" I demanded. Greg smacked his forehead and probably guessed I hadn't pronounced that information wrong. I had a tendency to talk faster than I can register the words on my tongue, which was a pretty bad flaw to have if you ask me.

"CHIRON. I told you, he's the camp's activities advisor. And, it's IRIS-message. Not Virus-message. Don't worry, I said Chiron would explain. He and the other camp director... Mr. D." Greg shivered as he said the name. Well, title. I raised an eyebrow, eager to meet this 'Mr. D'. If he scared Greg, he and I could get along well because right now I wanted to belt his furry butt for not telling me all this later.

When I was just about to plot my revenge, we were hovering above a field of strawberries. I almost expected a field of fairies and flowers, but hey. Strawberries work too. As soon as we got off, two figures came rushing to us.

One of them was a stubby looking satyr with bluish eyes and a blindingly bright orange T-shirt that read CAMP HALF-BLOOD. It looked a bit... Weird. I tried not to stare at it too hard. I might ruin my retinas.

"Greg! You found another one?" He sounded perplexed, which made Greg bleat in protest. The boy standing next to the satyr is who caught my attention. He had dark hair and ocean green eyes. He was wearing a camp shirt too and a pair of torn jeans, his sneaker caked in mud.

"You should have more confidence in me! I actually got this one here alive!" Greg retorted smartly, folding his arms over his chest. The older satyr glared at him.

"Greg-"

"Cool it, Grover. At least they're both here safe." The boy pointed out innocently, earning himself a huff from the older goat man. I raised an eyebrow, pursing my lips, then began to wave my arms in a TIME OUT gesture.

"Hold up, hold up! I am completely lost!" I cried furiously, clenching my fists and slamming them at my sides. The boy looked at me closely for a moment before giving a very welcoming smile. It actually made me feel calm, like looking at the painting of an ocean or something.

"It's all right... If you want, I can explain things to you on the way to the Big House. I'm sure... Chiron," The boy looked like he wanted to say someone else's name, but he changed his mind, "Would love to help the introductions. Come on."

I had no choice, but to follow him. We walked past a few groups of other campers, who were laughing at something going on near some weird looking stables. The boy chose to ignore it, grumbling about something under his breath.

"So... What's your name?" I asked at last. The boy smiled.

"Percy. Percy Jackson. And you?"

"Ritz Knightly."

"Nice name," He complimented very quickly, as if he were expecting to get jumped, then hurried on, "So, who's your parent?"

"... My dad," I mumbled slowly, "Uh... Well..."

"... You have no idea, do you?" Percy asked, looking a bit upset and annoyed. I'd only been there for a few days and I was already getting an enemy? So unfair, I tell you. He apparently wasn't the first because a girl's voice roared from behind him.

"Hey! Percy, you're in loads of trouble!" A girl with string brown hair, who reminded me of a female wrestler, was glaring daggers at Percy, who looked at her with wide eyes.

"What did I do?" He asked, his voice cracking a bit. I wanted to laugh, but I'd be a hypocrite. I probably sounded like that sometimes too. The girl stomped on the ground and it almost caused an earthquake, I tell you. She held up a sopping wet suitcase, which Percy gaped at.

"I-I didn't do that!" Percy protested.

"Then who did, you sea donkey?! Nobody here can control water like you!"

"Haven't you tried asking the Hermes Cabin, Clarisse? They play all the dirty tricks..." Percy muttered. Clarisse blinked a few times, then scowled.

"I'm on to you." She hissed, then glanced at me. I stared at her, then tilted my head as if to examine her.

"Keep your guard up," Clarisse warned me harshly, "Nobody likes a cowardly half-blood."

"Who said I was cowardly?" I demanded in a snippy tone that made Clarisse's eyes flare. Percy stepped between us quickly.

"And onto the Big House!" He exclaimed, hooking his finger on a hoop of my jacket to drag me away from the angry girl.

"Who was that and why is she so temper mental? I've met rabid raccoons with better control than her." I muttered. Percy cracked a smile at that and I was personally pleased with myself. Maybe he wasn't an enemy after all.

"That's Clarisse... She's a daughter of Ares."

"Really?" I asked sarcastically. Percy only smirked. I paused our conversation as we walked up to a large building with a wrap around porch. It smelled like... Grapes and fruits around the area. I glanced at Percy, but he didn't seem to notice or care. He looked a little uncomfortable as our shoes tapped the floor.

"... So, I take it your a son of Poseidon?" I asked, trying to remember my Greek history. Percy's eyes flickered as he tilted his head to look at me.

"Yea..."

"I hope you don't get blamed for everything around here..." I mumbled. Percy shrugged.

"Not that much... Until the other cabins discover who's behind it." He explained slowly and I smirked at that. He was certainly cute for a fish boy, I'd give him that. Our happy conversation was ended when we approached a table near a corner of the Big House.

A man in a wheelchair was holding up a few cards, facing himself as he eyed the opposite man over the cards. The opposite man reminded me somewhat of Santa from the red nose he had. Or maybe Rudolph? Whatever. He wore a tiger print Hawaiian shirt and torn khaki shorts as he tossed a card onto the table. His eyes were hidden behind his glasses, but I could tell by the look on his face that he was annoyed.

"Percy! You're back!" I heard a girl's voice exclaim. I didn't even notice the blondie sitting next to the man in the wheelchair. Her stormy gray eyes gleamed and my first thought was 'Must be Percy's girlfriend'. I was right. Percy happily took a seat beside her, flashing a toothy smile. I blinked, pausing a ways from the table.

The man in the wheelchair noticed and smiled kindly, gesturing.

"You can come closer. We don't bite." He coaxed. The big man snorted, slamming all his cards down.

"I do." He growled, but it was so fake and silly, that I just walked right up to the table, looking straight down at the cards.

"So what am I doing here?" I asked, looking at the people at the table.

"Greg didn't explain anything to you?" The blondie asked in a harsh tone that made me feel a bit stupid, so I threw her a quick glare, before looking at the two older guys.

"I think there's some mistake... My mom is completely normal. By that, I mean she doesn't date all mighty gods or anything. My dad just dumped her and left. That's it. Nothing special." I said lamely. The man in the wheelchair looked at me a bit sadly.

"You mean... You have no idea who your father is?" He asked.

"Should I care?" I returned, cocking a brow. The bigger guy grunted.

"I like her." He stated, although, I could sense a bit of sarcasm lurking in Santa's words. I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"Well, if you guys think I'm special, I won't argue. No way in heck am I going back to where I came from." I said slowly. The blondie frowned, her nose crinkling on the side a bit.

"You are special because you made it past the magic barrier and mortals can't do that." She responded sassily, which made Percy sigh irritably.

"Fine. Whatever you like, miss. I don't know what going on here and you obviously do, so I will have to comply to your outrageous ideas that gods actually exist." I explained with a straight face. Overhead, the sky grumbled like it was angry with me. It made me rethink my words a bit. Who controlled thunder and lightening...?

Oh, that's right. Zeus, the king of gods. Brother to Hades and Poseidon. The guy who saved his siblings from getting eaten by his father, Kronos. Bet they were yummy.

NOT.

"Well," The man in the wheelchair began carefully, "Let's do some introductions. My name is Chiron. This here is Annabeth and Percy. This is Mr. D. I'm sure you've found out about your friend, Greg."

"Oh, you mean the satyr with a nasty attitude? I've known him much too long." I muttered, leaning back and folding my arms over my chest.

"He saved you," Annabeth blurted angrily, "If it wasn't for him, you'd be back wherever you came from, getting eaten by monsters!"

"The least he could have done was make my ride here pleasant." I responded innocently. Annabeth's gray eyes flared like fire at my stupid response. I probably shouldn't have been so rude, but sometimes I can't help it. I just… Blurt things out. Chiron flinched a little, then rushed in before Annabeth could retort.

"Let's not argue, guys. We have to work as a team here at Camp Half-Blood." He advised, although, Mr. D was looking like he was trying not to laugh. He wasn't that bad for a god. I don't get why Greg didn't like him.

"How about Percy gives you a tour of the camp?" Chiron suggested, gesturing out at the camp. I looked up, scanning it over before lowering my eyes. I felt a little out of place here… It made me uneasy. Percy noticed and smiled reassuringly.

"I can show her around before dinner." He announced, getting up. Annabeth looked at him with a frown before slowly smiling at him and getting up. I frowned.

"You don't have too… I could just wonder around aimlessly…" I drawled, but Chiron shook his head.

"Not so smart if you don't know the other campers… Especially-"

"She's already met Clarisse." Percy blurted, blushing lightly at how rude it came out. Chiron looked at him, then me and smiled apologetically.

"Not everyone's as… Rough as Clarisse. I'm sure you'll make friends in no time. For the time being, the Hermes Cabin will accept you. Since we have new cabins for other demigods, I'm sure they'll have room."

"… Hermes must be really busy." I stated with such a deadpan expression, Percy tried to choke down a laugh. Chiron cleared his throat, holding his head down. Mr. D peeked at me past his cards, the corner of his lip twitching. Annabeth scowled at me, like I had just committed a sin. Instead of beating me with a stick or something, Annabeth gave Percy a little shove to start my tour.

****

**A/N: Yea, my excuse is at the top of this. xD Anyway, I am allowing people to enter their characters for this one if you like. SEE MY HOMEPAGE FOR OC GUIDELINES!! It's important if you wish to join any of my fanfictions… Ah, yes. I've read all the books from front to back and I have rediscovered my Greek obsession. Mwahaha… Anyway, if I get something wrong, I'm sorry. I'm trying real hard since this is my first fanfiction of this series… So, thanks for reading and please review!! (No flames included, please…)**


	2. Ninja HalfBlood

**Another chapter… o.o**

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Rick Riordan does!

Nor do I own Alexander Hixon, who belongs to _Mending the Sky_.

However, I do own Ritz Knightly…!

**Warnings: Why do I put this here…?**

****

Chapter Two: Ninja Half-Blood

I was left alone after my extremely short tour because Annabeth convinced Percy to ditch me at the Hermes Cabin so they could talk privately. She looked weary of me. How was I dangerous? I had the attention span of a rodent for crying out loud!

I sighed, sitting outside the Hermes Cabin with my back to the wall. I poked at the dirt with a stick, frowning to myself. This place just didn't seem right. I felt so… Weird. Was this how all half-bloods felt? I shrugged it off, trying to think of what to do next when a shadow fell over me like a dark cloud.

I looked up, frowning deeply when I was met with… A centaur. Wow, I was going crazy and I thought it was just Greg who was coo-coo for coco puffs. It was the guy from the wheelchair, Chiron. I didn't smile or anything now, just kinda stared like a moron.

"How about we try and find a fitting schedule for you?" He suggested, but I think it was more of a demand than a suggestion. I sighed and heaved myself to my feet, following him reluctantly. He noticed my dreary little rain cloud and sighed.

"I know this is hard," He began carefully, "But things will be much easier when your parent claims you. We'll work on that while you're here. Your mother has already been alerted of your situation… She understood completely and is coming to bring you your things tomorrow afternoon."

"Great… My mom doesn't care I'm more of a freak than I was before." I grumbled, pulling the bill of my hat down lower. I felt like even the ground was listening. I knew the trees were because of the dryads that lived there. I didn't know about the ground yet…

Chiron only sighed quietly, shaking his head as he trotted toward the archery range. Let me tell you, I failed that as soon as I picked up those sticks and wire. I couldn't even set it up right and it made me angry that the other campers there, apparently from the Apollo and Aphrodite Cabins, were snickering wildly.

I was tempted to run over there and tear the pretty jewelry right off those girls, punching the guys in the nose, but Chiron startled me into paralysis.

"It's all right," He assured, "Percy didn't do so well in archery either. It just means that's not your strength. Let's go try the other activities, then head for dinner."

"Oh, great. More humiliation." I drawled, but said it under my breath. Chiron was huge compared to lil' old me. He led me through all the activities, which, let me tell you, was totally not fun. I was thinking maybe if I were optimistic, things would get better. Turns out the only things I'm good at is being pessimistic, sarcastic, a good writer, and okay with a sword.

By dinner, I was feeling like a total outcast. I didn't even want to eat, but Chiron kept insisting so much, I just went into a meltdown and went to dinner, sitting and not touching my food.

Yea, I know… I'm acting like a total brat and normally I don't, but… It was just way too awkward. Wouldn't you be angry if you found out you were some god's kid without any talents at all?

I guess I looked like I was about to fall asleep because this kid, his name's Conner, tapped me on the forehead like I was dead.

"Hey, wake up, Lazy." He called in my ear. I glanced at him out the corner of my eye, then back and my food and groaned. Conner cocked a brow at me, the faint sign of a smirk on his face.

"Hey, you made any friends yet?"

"No, why?"

"Because you've made a lot of enemies." Conner pointed at the Ares table where Clarisse was glaring at me like I was a washed up whale on the beach. I cringed, digging my nails into the table so hard that some of the wood peeled from under my nails.

"What'd you do to get on her bad side?" Travis, Conner's brother, asked. I crinkled my nose and stabbed a piece of meat on my plate.

"I was born," I retorted sarcastically, "Who knows? I don't think anyone here likes me."

"Hey, we don't mind you hanging around." Conner chirped.

"Yea! You're cute. I'm sure you'll make friends with someone." Travis added. I glared at him.

"What does being cute have to do with anything?" I demanded. Before he could respond, Mr. D stood up from his seat, clearing his throat.

"All right, you snots. There's not much happening lately because life's like that. Get used to it," He began, getting my attention, "Although, we do have a new half-blood joining us. Whoopie-dee-doo. More trouble. Miss. Rich Nights has come to our- What?" He looked at Chiron, who was scowling at him and whispering something. I noticed this guy said my name wrong.

He was okay, but gods. He didn't even know my name. Heck, I didn't really know his either, so I was in no position to complain.

"Right, whatever. Ritz Knightly," Mr. D went on, "She's staying at the Hermes Cabin because she's a rare undetermined."

Silence filled the area as people stared at me. I felt a lump form in my throat of pure embarrassment. Erk… Undetermined kids are rare? Oh, for Hades' sake!

People only stared for a while longer before Mr. D went on explaining things. At that moment, I decided…

I'm leaving Camp Half-Guts. Wait, Camp Half-Blood. Damn, Mr. D's idiocy was contagious! Now I really had to get out of there!

Dinner lasted much too long and when it finally did, I sped straight past the Hermes Cabin. I had to find a way out of this creepy camp. I didn't belong here. No way, no how and not in a million years. Unfortunately, I got as far as the last cabin, when this boy literally just appeared out of the shadows near a tree.

First instinct was to scream, but since he didn't look like a murderer or anything freaky, I just went really still, staring at him. He was cute, about thirteen or twelve years old. He had really dark hair and wore an aviator's jacket as well as a black t-shirt and jeans. A skull ring glowed on his right hand, a very tempting sword hung on his waist.

"Where're you going?" He demanded, folding his arms over his chest. I stared at him for a while longer, then blinked.

"I was just leaving… Don't mind me." I added on with a weak smile. The boy frowned some more.

"You can't just leave."

"Eh heh," I mused, then placed a hand on my hip, "I'm giving you a few seconds to move your cute rear out of my way so I can leave. This place simply isn't my idea of a vacation."

"What're you talking about?"

"Ohhh, you probably missed Mr. D's little introduction during dinner…"

"… Yea." The boy muttered, looking a bit irritated that I mentioned it. I shrugged.

"Something about being undetermined. Unwanted. You know. So, I just decided that I'll head back home and get made fun of normal people." I explained in a bored voice. The boy's eyes flickered with some emotion that I couldn't understand. Instead of snapping at me or saying something noble like Chiron, the boy sighed and held out his hand.

"My name's Nico di Angelo. I'm a son of Hades." He greeted me. I frowned, glancing at his hand real quick before taking his hand. It was really cold, like he was made of snow or something, but it didn't really bother me that much.

"You're undetermined, huh?" Nico murmured thoughtfully. I shrugged.

"I guess… I don't really care, though."

"What'd you mean you don't care?"

"I… Just don't… I mean, I've always thought adventure would be fun, but I'm not a very socially active person, so all these weird people are making me uneasy."

"You've only been here for a day. I'm sure things won't stay the way they are."

"And who're you to say that?" I asked curiously, folding my arms over my chest. Nico's eyes scanned me up and down real quick before he spoke.

"Maybe you're one of Ares kids, judging by your attitude."

"Or maybe I'm just a normal kid who happens to be able to see all this freakish stuff." I tried, but Nico shook his head as if he wouldn't accept any more of my excuses. Well, fine. He didn't have to believe me and I didn't have to believe him. However, I think I was starting to believe all this more than he believed me about being semi-normal.

I had figured all this adventure stuff would be easy, but I guess not… Looking at Nico's thoughtful expression was making me think some more. Maybe I was blowing this whole situation out of proportion. Maybe I should just go with the flow, wait until a god decides to claim me as his daughter. Who knows? Maybe I might end up liking my dad…

**xxx**

That night, when I had curled up in a bunk in the Hermes Cabin, I had a horrible nightmare. I don't even know where it came from. My mom told me eating before bed caused nightmares, but I swore I didn't eat anything, except dinner, but that was almost four hours ago.

I dreamt that I was sitting in a really dark room. I couldn't see much, but I felt a cold draft coming from something huge in front of me. I heard whispers in Ancient Greek, hissing at me like angry snakes. I tried to move, but my body felt like lead as I was forced to sit there and listen.

A weird voice caught my attention as I listened more closely. It probably said the meanest thing out of the bunch. It was raspy and cold, like those zombies from _Dawn of the Dead_ or something.

"Daddy doesn't want you, half-blood," The voice rasped eerily, "Daddy doesn't need you… How about you come join us, instead…? You can make your daddy pay for being so mean to you…"

"Er," I mumbled, sounding similar to a drunk, "I don't know what you mean…"

"Don't play dumb, half-blood," The voice sneered, "You know what I mean… Don't go searching for your worthless daddy… Come here… We'll give you something even better…"

Before I could respond, I felt a really strong, steel grip wrap around my leg like a snake. I heard a loud scream echo off the walls of what sounded like a cavern, not so much a room anymore. I realized that the scream was coming from me. I pulled back, but the grip grew stronger and I felt like the fingers were cutting through my skin and to my bone.

I felt a few more choked screams rip out my throat as I scrambled to pull away.

It didn't take long for a shaking to jolt me back awake. My eyes flew open and I was met with Conner's face in mine. Gods, that was NOT the wake up call I was hoping for. I was almost hoping Percy or Nico had woken me up. Not this cracker box.

"Ritz? Hey, Ritz! Wake up!" Conner was still yelling in my face, even when I was awake. He was busting my eardrums and I think one of the other kids knew. A girl with dirty blonde hair smacked Conner on the arm.

"Cool it, Conner! You're going to shake her brains out!" She scolded, although, she looked like she was going to laugh. Conner didn't stop until I shoved a fist against his chest to get off me.

"Gods, what were you trying to do? Suffocate me?" I demanded, noticing how my voice trembled greatly as I wiped cold sweat from my forehead. Conner shrugged, trying to hide a grin from spreading across his face.

"My bad."

"Yes, you're bad." I responded flatly. Travis raised an eyebrow, looking at me strangely.

"You know, you were screaming really loud. I'm surprised your throat's not raw." He pointed out. Literally. He poked my throat. I almost gagged and pushed his finger away, rubbing my throat with a scowl.

"For gods' sakes. It was just a little nightmare… I don't do good sleeping in strange places." I muttered, rubbing my head and realizing my hat was missing. I turned and dug in my sheets for it while Travis and Conner spoke at the same time. I chose to ignore them since they were ranting too much for me to comprehend. That wasn't a good idea because they were explaining why I was having a nightmare. Oh well.

I had to find out the hard way.

I settled my cap back on my head and turned in time for Travis and Conner to stare at me like I had just crawled out of a hole and said, "HAIL! I AM SATAN!" Which would have totally thrown off their ideas about polytheism.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I stared at them in obvious irritation. Travis frowned, tapping his chin.

"It's got to do with that prophecy. The one the Oracle said before she took off…" He mused aloud, glancing at his siblings, who just stared at him blankly.

"I think we should tell Chiron." A boy in the back called, getting murmurs of agreement.

"What if Kronos is back?" A girl asked nervously. That caused an uproar to explode in the cabin, shaking my brains around in my skull. Kronos? Apparently, they had dealt with the Titan, Lord of Time dude, before.

"Waaaaait!" I yelled and silence fell over, except a few snickers because my voice had not only cracked, but also got high-pitched. Not a common sound since my voice is more alto…

"What are you guys even talking about? I want answers or I'll tie someone in a knot." I commanded, first looking at Travis and Conner, who blinked owlishly.

"Well?" I demanded sternly, realizing for a moment that I sounded like my mother and shivered at the thought. After a long silence, I had a feeling they weren't going to tell me anything. Why did they want to keep things about this Kronos guy a secret? It's not like he could crawl out of Tartarus and kill everyone, right?

**xxx**

Chiron wasn't a bad guy, horseman thing. Centaur, right. He was kind and caring, a bit of a worrywart, but setting that aside, he'd make a really good daddy centaur. However, his persistence at trying to find my strengths was starting to get to me. To face the fact that I was undetermined and a total freak with no talents, it seemed to irk him.

So, he took every chance to make me try all the activities a second time! Oh, the embarrassment that ate away at my cheeks, turning them dark pink when I had finally failed archery a millionth time. I even had my headphones on and I could still hear the other campers watching me. I jerked the hot pink headphones out, shoving them in the pocket of my clean jeans that Chiron had brought me. I slammed the bow and arrow down harshly, stomping my foot down on it.

"Ritz, don't take it out of the equipment…" Chiron muttered, fiddling with his white HAY THERE shirt. I scowled at him stubbornly as I tied my military jacket around my waist, avoiding the annoying Camp Half-Blood t-shirt I had to wear.

"I can't do this! I can't do anything!" I snapped at the centaur, who sighed irritably.

"Let's take a break. Why don't you go hang out with the other campers?"

"So they can laugh at me? No way."

"Ritz."

"Chiron."

Well, that day I learned not to argue with a centaur who didn't get up on the right side of the bed that morning. Chiron made me sit on the steps of my cabin to wait for a chance to socialize. Unfortunately, he doesn't know I'm a total moron when it comes to social activities. I wasn't much of a team player…

"You look a bit dreary." A voice commented. I looked up with lazy eyes, then blinked to find a boy about my age standing in front of her. His sandy brown hair was shaggy and curled, his deep blue eyes watching me. He had a dash of freckles across his face, his bright Camp Half-Blood t-shirt glowing as blindingly as the other shirts. I scanned him up and down real quick, then raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a worthless loser. Of course I'm dreary." I retorted, folding my arms on my knees and hunching over. The boy got on his hunches in front of me, looking at me like some kind of science experiment. He wasn't bad looking, but… He had that look that Conner and Travis had, but he wasn't a Hermes child. I would've seen him last night when the others kids screamed at Kronos.

"You don't look worthless. My name's Alexander Hixon. Call me Alex. Son of Zeus. Nice to meet you." He replied with a wide, mischievous grin. I stared at him, then looked around real quick, before looking back at him.

"Sorry, are you deaf or dumb?" I asked honestly, looking at him. Alex tilted his head a little, giving a half shrug.

"No, I just want to know your name. It's not like I asked for your number… Which is what, by the way?" He asked with that same grin again. I couldn't help smirking at him.

"Name's Ritz. Ritz Knightly and no, you can't have my number." I responded, getting to my feet. He followed, folding his arms over his chest.

"That's too bad… Dionysus mentioned you were unclaimed."

"Oh, thanks for reminding me, pal." I returned sarcastically. Alex smirked, giving a little shake of his head to tell me he meant no harm.

"You think you'll find your parent soon?"

"Who knows and who cares? I want something to do is what I want." I muttered, glancing back at the Hermes Cabin with a dull expression. Alex gestured his hand around at the camp.

"Are you blind or just blind? There's a lot of things to do here."

"Not if you don't have talent like me. I don't have great swordsmanship."

"Work on it."

"Make me." I answered instinctively, cocking a challenging brow at him. Alex opened his mouth, probably ready to throw a smart comment in my direction, but Chiron came galloping over with a sword in his hand. It was built somewhat like a Roman sword, the ones I saw in the museums.

"Ritz, I think I've found a nice sword that will suit your next training exercise."

"Uwagghhh!" I wailed, pulling my cap down a bit lower. Alex laughed. Chiron gave me a funny look. Something between confusion and irritation.

"You act like I just asked you-"

"Her number? I already tried, dude. Won't work." Alex sighed dramatically. Chiron sent him a warning look, but it didn't look as threatening as I thought it would, then looked back at me, handing me the sword.

"Two boys, Tanner and Mike, from the Dionysus and Hermes are training right now. You can join the next round." He assured as if it were the greatest thing to happen to him. It probably was. He'd probably get lucky and one of those boys would decide to kill me.

"I bet you'll do great! Let me come and check it out!" Alex boosted. Chiron looked a bit surprised now and I had to dish out the way I met this Son of Zeus. He gave a sigh, then smiled brightly at me and it almost scared me, so I took a step back by Alex.

"I'm so glad you've made a friend, Ritz. Being a half-blood is a lot easier with friends." He advised. I raised an eyebrow, something I actually did a lot, pursing my lips slightly in a sort of pout.

"Yes… And all I had to do was look miserable. Next thing I should do is cut my wrist, see how much attention THAT gives me." I said sarcastically. Chiron gave me a worried look and I just smacked my forehead as Alex snickered at my side.

Gods, I hope Chiron didn't think I was serious…!

It didn't take long for Chiron to escort Alex and I to this big circular arena, where two older boys were clanking their swords together like they did on movies. Only, these boys looked older than me by at least six years! If Chiron expected me to beat either one of those experienced guys, I was toast!

I looked at Alex for help, but he was too busy grinning as the Dionysus kid kicked butt… Wait, I noticed something odd. That boy, the Dionysus one… I studied him as he practically danced out of the way of attacks, easily blocking the attacks of the Hermes kid, who looked awfully familiar too…

I immediately recognized the Dionysus kid, Tanner. He was one of the jerks who had laughed at me when I failed my first archery lesson. I clenched the sword in my fist tighter, gritting my teeth.

If there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was being laughed at by some kid who was talented. Gods, I had to kick this kid's butt…

"Calm down," Alex whistled to me, arching his brows upwards in surprise, "It's not like you'll die or anything…" His voice drifted and it wasn't reassuring at all.

"Thanks, Alex. I can count on you." I muttered.

"Any time." Alex responded with a wide grin. I looked up in time for the Hermes kid, Mike, to fall on his back with Tanner's sword to his throat. Tanner helped Mike back to his feet, giving him a not-so friendly piece of advice, then turned his gaze to lock on me.

"Well… If it isn't the unclaimed girl." He mused nastily and his voice sounded like Dionysus's. Gods, this kid was a jerk. Alex looked between Tanner and I, probably wondering how we knew each other. The way he was crinkling his nose told me he didn't like Tanner very much.

"She's here to practice, Tanner," Chiron broke in before we could say anything, "Just one match and then you can move onto your next activities."

"… With pleasure." Tanner smiled, but it was so fake and dirty that I was wondering if I should just turn tail and flee. Maybe I could make it to the strawberry fields by now…

"Don't back down," Alex's voice broke into my thoughts quietly so Tanner couldn't hear, "Kick his butt, Ritz. You've got talent, I know it… So prove this loser wrong."

I stared at him, or rather up at him since I was shorter than him, but that's not the point! The point is… I was starting to believe him. Maybe I could do something… I looked back at Tanner, who was looking at me eagerly, ready to kick my butt.

Or so he thought.

"All right," I agreed, stepping forward, "Let's see how much I can make you dance, kid."

"Che…" Tanner's grin twisted into a sneer as he stepped back, holding up his sword as he readied. I don't know how long it took me to come up with a plan, but I did and I knew it was full proof. I waited there for a moment, holding my sword and looking as stupid as I could.

Which wasn't very hard, trust me.

Tanner lunged at me, aiming a stab at my gut, which made Chiron stomp one of his hooves in distress. I think I shocked him when I swung the sword around, knocking Tanner's attack away. Tanner's eyes flashed angrily and he did what I expected him to do with my next move. I let go of my sword, letting it skitter across the stones of the arena.

Tanner's eyes locked on the sword in disbelief and that's when I lunged forward, elbowing him hard in the gut. He let out a sharp yelp before groaning and doubling over in pain. I smirked triumphantly, but he shot back up quickly, aiming a vicious slash at me.

"Tanner…" I could hear Chiron's warning voice from somewhere, but I was paying too much attention to even notice that Alex was shouting at me to kick Tanner's butt. I could do that, though. I was ready for his next move. Tanner didn't even have to kick my sword away to make sure I had no weapon. He made a move to slash at my feet, so I jumped up and did a favorite move of mine.

Something I picked up from the 'cave man' lessons in World History class. I jumped up as high as I could, reaching forward and pushing on Tanner's head. He stumbled forward as I jumped over him, landing on my feet. I whirled around and kicked him in the side, knocking him to the ground on his back.

I think Chiron was too stunned at this point to even speak. Either that or he was glaring at Alex, who was still making outrageous comments. Gods, he was such a goof… But I didn't care. He seemed to have given me the confidence that I really needed to do this training lesson.

Tanner scrambled to his feet again, making a move at me when I had turned to grab my sword. I heard the whistle of his blade pull back, so I ducked just as it flew over my head, almost knocking my hat off!

Gods… I had to think of a way to keep that thing on.

I rolled out of the way as Tanner slammed his sword down. I got back to my feet and swung my sword at him again. He blocked and slid his blade right down mine, knocking the sword from my grip. I winced, my wrist aching from trying to hold on to the weapon, which sadly hit the ground again.

Tanner held the sword's tip to my neck, his sneer pulling back into a victorious grin like he'd just won the Trojan War. It's too bad that grin was short lived. I spun around and my leg connected with his sword, knocking it away. I had lost a bit of my balance, catching myself on my hands on the stones as I pushed myself back upright.

Tanner had his sword again! He was good… He faked a stab at me and I fell for it like an idiot and ducked, but Tanner kicked me hard in the stomach. I made a choking sound and fell on my back, gasping. Tanner's sword found my throat again and I stared at him.

"That's enough, you two…" Chiron had barely gotten his entire sentence out when I had swung my feet up, catching Tanner's blade between my boots. I did a backwards somersault, stabbing his sword between the stones of the arena. I ended up standing over his buried sword, looking at him with a plain look.

"I win." I stated, then stomped my foot on the hilt of his sword, jamming it deeper between the stones. Tanner's face grew dark red and I think it was from mostly anger than shame to losing to a worthless loser.

"Y-You…" He couldn't even speak and I felt so awesome at that point.

"HA!" Alex laughed out loud as Chiron stared at me funny again. I didn't like the look, but I was too triumphant to even care. I brushed past Tanner uncaringly as he went for his sword again.

"Beginner's luck…" Tanner grumbled stubbornly as he passed me. I picked up my sword, walking up to Chiron and Alex.

"That was hard." I admitted. I couldn't say it was easy because it wasn't. Tanner was good and my body was aching from working too hard. I wasn't much of a fighter, more of an observer.

"Are you kidding?! You moved like those ninjas on TV!" Alex exclaimed, looking perplexed by my statement. Chiron frowned, his arms folded as he looked at me thoughtfully.

"Did you plan that all out?" He asked curiously. I tried not to laugh, but it came out anyway.

"Are you kidding? I planned most of it out, except for the part where he knocked me down twice… That wasn't planned." I added under my breath. Chiron nodded thoughtfully.

"I see… Well, why don't you two head to lunch? I need to speak with Mr. D privately." He mumbled, trotting past us. Alex ignored him and his hand touched my shoulder, sending jolts up my spine. More like surprise and… I dunno, embarrassment?

"That was awesome, Ritz. Tanner's a total hothead."

"He's not hot." I replied, although, I got the meaning. Tanner was a stubborn, really cocky kid and it annoyed me. He hadn't seen the last of me. That's for darn sure.

"If he's not hot, who is?" Alex asked predictably. I rolled my eyes, shoving his hand off my shoulder lazily.

"You're not getting my number."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." Alex sighed, tilting his head to the side. I smirked, then slipped my sword in the space between my hip and my jacket that was tied around my waist. I reached up and pulled my hat up just a bit to wipe away some sweat.

"All right. Let's go for lunch. I could eat a whole horse."

"Don't let Chiron hear you! He might think you're serious!" Alex snickered. I raised an eyebrow at him, the corner of my mouth lifting in a faint smile.

"Who said I was joking?"

****

**A/N: Okay… Here's chapter two. It turned out different from what I expected. xD Better, actually. I do hope I got Alex in character!! o.o; Also, I have received many OC entries for this and don't worry. If your OC was not in this chapter, they'll probably be in the next one or so. I've dropped my so-called plans for this series and decided to just go with the flow~ :D**

**Thank you for reading, folks, and please review! (Flames not included)**


	3. A Rhyme of Prophecy

**Two characters introduced in one chapter. o0; Wow… xD**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians! It belongs to Rick Riordan!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**.**

**Erato belongs to **_**Erato Son of Zeus and Athena**_**.**

**Nox Taminama belongs to**_** Ein Storm**_**.**

**I**_** DO**_** own Ritz Knightly!**

**Warnings: … Oh, for Hades' sake…**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter Three: A Rhyme of Prophecy

After some messing around, Alex and I made our toward the dining pavilion. We were talking about nothing in particular, mostly my number.

"Looks like someone found someone to hang out with." A boy's voice said out of nowhere. When I say nowhere, I mean NOWHERE. I could have sworn it was just Alex and I tripping and stumbling to the pavilion when this boy just appeared behind us.

I turned around and Alex looked like he was going to topple over, but just whirled around as fast as I did. I was met with an older boy, maybe sixteen, with gold hair that seemed almost angelic and hung to his shoulders. His eyes electric blue with a bit of gray on the border. He wore an orange t-shirt, which was seriously starting to burn my retinas into nothing and a pair of slightly tight black shorts laced with crimson thread.

"Well, Erato. Nice seeing you hanging around." Alex drawled, looking a little disappointed that our 'alone time' was ruined.

"You must be Ritz," Erato mused, ignoring Alex as he looked at me, "I'm Erato… My parents are both half-bloods, of Athena and Zeus."

"That's gotta be complicated." I blurted, earning myself a slight smirk from Alex and just an amused smile from Erato.

"Somewhat." Erato answered at last. Alex sighed, checking his invisible watch, then draping an arm on my shoulders.

"Look at the time! Food time!" He exclaimed. I looked at his wrist, arching a single brow at him.

"You've got no watch."

"Do to. It's invisible. The Hephaestus Cabin made it for me."

"Prove it." Erato joined in with a smirk. Alex pursed his lips and only had three seconds to come up with an excuse before he broke into another of his wickedly cute grins.

"Here, take a look." He held up his wrist for Erato and I to see, which was pretty funny since… There was NOTHING to see, except his bare wrist. I couldn't help, but laugh at his attempt to trick us. Erato tapped Alex's wrist.

"I can't feel it. Why's it not there?" He asked. Alex didn't even need time to think of the rest of his excuse.

"It's magic and molds into my skin." He replied innocently, waving his wrist in Erato's face. Erato rolled his eyes, shaking his head at Alex's obvious lie. I couldn't tell if he was lying now, though. After everything I had learned in the past two days, well… I think anything could be possible, even flying pigs…

**xxx**

I sat with the Hermes Cabin again as lunch gathered around. I still felt a little lonely, sitting there without Erato or Alex. I had just met both of them, but I felt like I had known them forever. Lunch was barely over when Mr. D stood up and told us to, and I quote:

"Shut your yaps, brats, before I clog your throats full of grapes!"

I could have sworn I heard thunder rumbling in the distance, to which Dionysus responded with a few Ancient Greek curses.

"Anyway, Nights, your mother has arrived at camp with some of your belongings! Well, not LITERALLY in the camp, but… Look, get outta here and let us eat." Dionysus grunted, then plopped back down his seat. I twitched, noticing he said my name wrong. AGAIN.

He's such a weirdo, but I only disliked him because his son, Tanner, was a jerkface.

I got up and Greg, my friendly neighborhood satyr, led me to the edge of the border where, sure enough, my mother was waiting. She was dressed in a blue business suit, probably for her job, which kept her away most of the time…

"Ritz! You're alive!" She cried and threw her arms around me, almost picking me up off the ground in a hug of pure suffocating. I gagged, but not from her hug. Her perfume smelled like a dying donkey.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." I managed to choke past my shuddering lungs. My mother finally let me go to smile at me with tears rimming her eyes.

"Ritz… I'm so sorry I didn't tell you anything before, but-"

"Hey, it's okay. Who needs a heads up like that? Hey! I forgot to tell you, honey! Your father is also a Greek GOD!" I barked at her, glaring daggers. Greg grumbled something about being a brat, so I turned on him.

"You're in no position to talk, stubby!" I snarled at him and he jumped back with a hurt expression, which I rudely ignored as I whirled back to my mom, who winced.

"Ritz… Let me explain things better…"

"No, don't. I already have a headache from my lessons in Ancient Greek. Learning a hundred languages is like learning how to count. It's hard." I added on with a huff. Greg snickered behind me and I glared at him, which made him shut his mouth. My mom sighed, looking at me for a while before she handed me a suitcase.

"It has everything you'll need… Uhm… I packed some candies in there too, you know, for when you get really mad and things. I packed some extra clothes in there too and some money and some drachmas-"

"Did you remember my MP3 charger?"

"Er, yes. Actually, I wanted to-"

"Hope you didn't pack my cell phone. They said I'm not allowed to use it."

"I did, but just keep it off, hon. Don't forget to-"

"If I have time, I'll brush my teeth. Gods, it's not like I'm staying here all year." I pointed out, but my mom gave me a weird look and put me on high alert.

"I'm… Not staying here all year, am I? I'm coming back home, right?" I asked with a sinking feelin in my gut. My mom nibbled her lip nervously as she messed with a button on her jacket.

"Ritz, I…"

"Ritz, you can put your things away," Greg jumped in suddenly; grabbing my shoulders, "Then go to your next activity, all right? I'll handle the rest of this."

"But-"

"Bye, hon! I love you!" My mom spoke quickly, kissing my cheek and letting Greg push me back into the camp. I could only walk stiffly, thinking deeply. Did she even want me to come home? It was a sad, depressing thought and for once… I wasn't feeling angry and sarcastic. I was feeling… Betrayed. Why didn't she want me home? Had I done something she didn't like?

I went back to the Hermes Cabin, just throwing my suitcase on my bunk and walking back out to head to the wrestling mat for the first time. I was making my way there when Erato and Alex met up with me halfway there.

"Hey, what's up, Ritz?" Erato asked, noticing my miserable look.

"Yea, you look like someone just ate your lunch." Alex pointed out, his usual grin having twisted into a look of… I dunno, maybe concern. It's hard to tell since he's usually grinning. I only shrugged.

"I… Don't really know. I'll feel better after I kick someone's butt on the mat." I replied dully. Erato's eyebrows shot up, his blue eyes flickering with what looked like surprise.

"Do you even know who's at the mat right now?" He asked. I frowned, putting my hands on my hips.

"Should I care?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If you're ready to take on King Kong, be my guest." Alex grinned again, making me blink at him blankly. I only knew three King Kong people at Camp Half-Blood… Clarisse, Dionysus, and Tanner. Who-

"… Please tell me it's not Clarisse." I moaned, letting my arms go slack at my sides. Alex only laughed as Erato gave me a sympathetic smile.

"It could be worse."

"Let me know when you come up with someone scarier than an angry Ares daughter." I retorted, rolling my eyes. Erato only gave a sigh, probably convinced he couldn't cheer me up now. Alex looked more amused than freaked out. He probably thought I could pull the same moves I did on Tanner on Clarisse… He was wrong.

Wrestling with Clarisse was a whole different ball game than battling with Tanner, who, might I add, is smaller than Clarisse by far even though he's older. Clarisse was built for wrestling with her body builder like form. She would easily pin me down on my face, or even worse… Pin me down WITHOUT my face even being there anymore!

I had to weasel my way out of this and fast. Maybe I could fake a twisted ankle? No, Chiron nor any of the spectators would fall for it. I'm always hopping around. Well, if whining doesn't get me out… I would just have to rely on my movements and timing…

**xxx**

As soon as we were on the mat, I knew I was toast. Clarisse was sneering at me, only it was a lot scalier and uglier than Tanner's. At least Tanner had SOME good looks, but Clarisse's strength was as scary as her looks. I looked at Alex desperately, wishing he'd come up with an excuse, but he looked to eager to see me kick butt, which I totally couldn't do. Erato didn't seem to catch my look, so I was left all alone…

"Let's see how strong you are now." Clarisse smirked at me, getting ready to beat me up and I could tell she was eager… Her eyes actually sparkled like a little girl who was ready to pounce a kitten. Only in this case, Clarisse was NOT a little girl. Not at ALL.

"Can I just crawl into a hole?" I asked aloud, earning snickers from the spectators.

"Ritz, don't worry. It's merely a training exercise," Chiron explained, "Pin her down before she can pin you down."

"Easy for you to say!! You're part horse for crying out loud!" I barked at him, but a bell sounded at Clarisse was coming right at me. I was dead! I ducked as fast as I could, letting her practically fly right over me. I whirled around in time for her to tackle me to the ground.

My back slammed into the ground and I felt all the air explode from my chest as my lungs scrunched up. I gasped, spots dancing in front of my eyes, thankfully blocking out Clarisse's triumphant grin. I had to get her off. I could faintly hear the yell of the other kids, mostly Alex, though…

I squeezed my eyes shut, then managed to get my knees between her and me, shoving hard. Clarisse stumbled back, holding her gut and growling more in pain than anger. I got to my feet quickly in time for Clarisse to come at me again, ready to grab me around the neck. I ducked and slammed into her gut again. She grunted as I shoved her to the ground, but it was really hard!

She was heavy and she resisted my push, which made it even harder. The heat and the hard working were making beads of sweat to form on my forehead. As I pulled back real quick to take a breath, I flicked my tongue over my lower lip, moistening it as I waited for Clarisse to recover. Yea, I know. I should've attacked her again, but I had a feeling she was going to punch me if I kept pushing. Wrestling was all about pushing, or at least… That's what I figured.

She came at me again, only this time; she looked like she REALLY wanted to hurt me, not because it was just wrestling. She aimed a punch at my head and I ducked, hearing Alex booing her. I tried not to laugh at him for it and focused as hard as I could. Clarisse sent another fist my way, which just barely missed my arm. I dodged to the side, then swung my foot up, kicking her right in the chin. She leapt back, wincing only a little before she came charging at me like a bull.

Her elbow came towards me, aiming at my collarbone, so I ducked it, swinging my leg out and making her stumble. I was wondering something there for a second… This was turning into some kind of martial arts fight, that's it, really. Not wrestling. And there WAS a difference… I think.

"Heads up, loser!" Clarisse snarled at me and she tackled me again to the ground, trying to keep me pinned as I wrestled to get her off me. I did the best thing I could do at that point…

I bit her.

Yea, it was nasty since she was sweaty and dirty. I got particles of dirt in my mouth as I bit down on her arm, closer to her elbow area. She let out a sharp yelp, then tried to pull her arm away. I kept my teeth on her as I tried to roll her under me so I could pin her. However, she caught on to what I was planning and slammed her arm into the side of my head. Now THAT hurt!

I released her arm, jumping back as fast and as far as I could, only for her to come after me again getting me on my back. Clarisse had me by the shoulders, pinning me down with all her weight. I could hear someone counting, but Clarisse's hissing voice drowned it out.

"No wonder you're unclaimed. Your father doesn't want to admit you're his daughter because you're so pathetic." She sneered down at me. I stopped struggling to stare at her.

… I had never thought about that. All this time, I told myself I didn't care who my father was. I didn't care that he didn't claim me. I wanted to focus on making new friends at this camp. However, Clarisse's words were eating at me. Maybe he wouldn't claim me because he was embarrassed?

Did he not want me because I wasn't strong like the Ares children? Because I wasn't as smart as the Athena children? Because I wasn't as good with my hands like the children of Hephaestus? Because I couldn't shot an arrow or mess with vine plants like the children of Apollo or Dionysus? Clarisse made such a good point as she shoved herself standing up right, looking so proud of herself. I bet she was and I bet even Ares would be happy for her. She was strong. Probably strong enough to bring even Chiron down and he was part horse!

I sat up, but I didn't leave the ring, frowning as I watched Clarisse take off with her friends. They kept telling her she did well. Although, I had a feeling she was thinking that I was the easiest to beat out of the whole camp.

"Hey, Ritz? Hello?" Alex waved a hand in my face and it took me a moment to realize that he and Erato had approached me. I blinked, looking at him blankly.

"I'm still here." I responded flatly. Erato frowned.

"What was that? You were doing fine until she pinned you…" He mumbled, his arms folded over his chest. Alex nodded.

"Yea! You could have flattened her like a pancake!" He agreed. I stretched a little, my back cracking as I did so.

"I think she just about flattened me like a pancake." I muttered, rubbing my hand up my spine.

"At least you tried…" Erato sighed, helping me stand up between him and Alex. Sometimes I felt so short compared to them both. I brushed myself off, then shrugged.

"Meh… I don't care…" I lied, although, I secretly cursed myself to the Underworld for not being able to take Clarisse down. Alex was right that I could have pinned her, but… The fact that I didn't know who my father was, why my mother was abandoning me, and that I was useless… Well, it was starting to irk me. All these kids were good at something and what I was good at? Complaining and being a snob…

"Foot racing?" Alex suggested, but I just shook my head.

"I think I'll just head back to my cabin… I'll see you guys later…" I replied under my breath.

"You sure? Wouldn't Chiron get suspicious?" Erato asked, his eyes flickering around for the centaur, who was scolding a pair of Hermes kids for setting off a trap in the girls' bathroom.

"Tell him it's a girl thing." I responded, then left them without saying another word, which probably left them curious. I just felt like sleeping now. That took way too much outta me and it wasn't just the wrestling either.

No wonder you're unclaimed. Your father doesn't want to admit you're his daughter because you're so pathetic.

I shuddered. Clarisse's voice sounded a lot creepier in my head. I was heading to my Cabin when I noticed a girl sitting on the roof of the Zeus Cabin, which was the fanciest of the cabins because apparently Zeus was just full of himself.

Anyway, this girl had golden light brown hair that curled near her shoulders, his stormy-blue eyes staring at me like she seemed to recognize me faintly, but couldn't place her finger on it. She wore a, you guessed it, Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Only hers looked slightly scorched like she'd been messing with an electrical outlet. I know those hurt because I stuck tweezers in there one time to pull something out…

It hurt.

Anyway, she looked like she was going to talk, but said nothing. So, I approached the side of the cabin, looking up at her.

"You want something?" I asked, hating how much my voice sounded aggressive. The girl seemed to notice my apologetic look and shrugged, leaning on her knees as she peered over the edge to get a better look at me.

"No… Well, yes. My name's Nox Taminama."

"Ritz Knightly. So what's a daughter of Zeus want with me?" I asked suspiciously. If there was one thing I learned at Camp Half-Blood, it's that you have to be careful around the other campers. Some of them loved fighting, especially the Ares kids.

"You look a little familiar… Can't put my finger on it."

"Does… Humiliatingly pathetic ring any bells?" I asked. Nox let a smile spread across her lips.

"No, but lack of self-confidence does."

"Yup." I replied dully. Nox nodded, then slid off the rooftop at my side quickly. I almost missed her move. A closer look revealed a solid celestial bronze katana that hooked onto her hip conveniently.

"Don't touch," Nox warned me before I could touch it, "It'll turn you into fried chicken."

"I like fried chicken." I responded stupidly to which Nox replied with a laugh. However, it died down as she looked at me seriously.

"If you want to find out who your father is request a quest from Chiron and Mr. D." She stated flatly. I frowned.

"Let's pretend I don't know what a quest is."

"A quest," Nox sighed, as if she had explained it a million times, "Is a sort of mission. You're sent to do something important to improve the camp, I guess. It all depends."

"… But, how'll a quest help me find my father?"

"The Oracle. She's Percy's friend, Rachel. She'll give you a prophecy to follow and maybe there'll be a clue as to finding your father."

"I don't know, Nox… My father hasn't claimed me, so maybe he just… Doesn't want to… I mean, I understand and all, but…" My voice trailed off as Nox slowly raised a stern brow.

"You never know… Maybe your father didn't even know about you."

"How does a god not know he had a child?" I demanded. Nox shrugged.

"Maybe your mother tried to hide you… Maybe your father was…" She stopped talking to stare at me as I stared back. It probably wasn't going to be a nice set of endings for her sentence, so we just let our imaginations take us away on that one.

"I'll see, I guess." I replied slowly. Nox nodded.

"And don't worry about Clarisse," Her voice turned dark and annoyed, "She's a bully and everybody knows it… She'll get what's comin' to her."

"Can't wait." I murmured, then went off to my cabin, thinking. Request a quest? Could I do that?

… Hey! A rhyme!

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: I do hope I got the characters in character! I've already got a plan of what's going to happen next… Heheheh, I just need to figure out how to lead up to it. -___-; I am such a procrastinator and a lazy doofus sometimes. Anyway, you can still submit OCs at this time, it's never really too late. Until, of course, the last chapter, which I'll warn you guys ahead of time. Don't worry, though. That's a long time from now, so keep the reviews and OC entries coming (Flames excluded)! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Curiosity Kills Demigods!

**Here's chapter four! Sorry it's late! D':**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and The Olympians, Rick Riordan does!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**Erato belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein Storm**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs to **_**ME**_**!**

**Warnings: … Randomness…! Ha, I found a warning. XD**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter Four: Curiosity Kills Demigods!!

That night I had another totally whacko dream. I was supposed to be pushing this door shut on someone… Or something. Whatever it was, it had a scaly arm that was grabbing at me through the crack in the door. It was snarling like a dog with rabies too. Alex, Erato, and Nox were behind me, yelling for me to push harder. We all looked like we had gone through the Underworld and back with bloody cuts all over us.

"Hurry up, Ritz!! He's coming!" Erato shouted and joined my fight against the monster that was trying to get us. The monster shrieked on the other side of the door.

"Nooooo! Vile children of the GODS! He shall punish you! He who follows the Lord of Time!" It screamed before it slammed into the door one last time, knocking both Erato and I back into Alex and Nox, knocking us all on the floor. I jerked my head up in time for the huge monster, unrecognizable, to come racing at me with wide-open jaws as a voice somewhere behind it echoed:

"Where's your daddy now, girl?"

**xxx**

I woke up with a loud shriek, which made everyone in the Hermes Cabin groan. I pretended to still be asleep when they turned on the lights this time, burying my face against the pillow, twitching a little for emphasis. I was shocked as the events unfolded.

"She's having another nightmare…" Conner's voice murmured from the floor somewhere.

"You don't think Kronos is back, do you…?" Travis asked from somewhere in front of me, probably being the one to check up on me.

"No way… You heard Percy. He said that Kronos probably vanished into dust, not even having a conscious anymore." Conner insisted.

"… Maybe it's got to do with that prophecy then. You know, the one the Oracle told before she left." Travis tried, but he was answered with silence. After a while, the lights went out and I sighed against my pillow. I still didn't learn too much from that, but I did figure out something… This Kronos guy won't come back, thank the gods…

Waking up that morning was fun, huh? I hadn't been able to pay attention all day as I tried to think of a way to ask Chiron about that quest, but… I was a little afraid and I don't know why. He was just a horseman for gods' sakes.

I decided to ask someone, anyone, for advice. So, during foot racing, after I had finished my stretches, I went to one of the tree nymphs named April.

"April, how do you ask for a quest?" I asked hoping she'd have some sort of knowledge of it. She tilted her head to look at me suspiciously, like she was expecting me to sneak a stink bomb under her. Again.

"A quest, you ask? You shouldn't be so rash. Quests aren't for a young adolescent demigod such as yourself, child." She responded, looking at me with bright green eyes.

"Awww, come on… Look, April… I think I want to find out who my father is." I said at last and that made her eyes light up even more.

"Do you now? Well then… You should work hard. Not to mention sucking up to Dionysus and Chiron will do you good… Now, let's race before I whip you one good." She added on with a smirk. She was a strict wood nymph and I was hoping to run her over with a bulldozer. Oops, sorry. Didn't see any save the rude forest sign…

We raced and she won, although, she said I was fast, just not fast enough.

I met with the Hermes Cabin, heading to lunch. We did that thing where we sacrificed a portion of our food to the gods, which was always confusing for me, so I just made a silent comment.

_Here, take it. Not like I need it._

I sat down, glancing at Chiron every so often, who was rambling on about something to Dionysus. The wine god looked annoyed, but didn't say anything in return, drinking from his glass. I had to do it, now or later, whether it was allowed or not.

So, I got up while Travis and Conner bragged about their trick on the latest trick on the Aphrodite Cabin. I snuck over to the big table, making Chiron look up in surprise.

"Ritz?" He asked, almost like he hadn't seen me in a million years. When the last time he saw me was yesterday.

"Chiron, I need a quest." I deadpanned. Mr. D peeked past his cards, looking at me like I had just asked for a trillion drachmas.

"Er… Ritz, I don't think-"

"I need to find out who my father is, but I won't be able to do that if I stick around this camp doing the same old thing over and over again. Besides, I've been having some weird dreams lately. Some guy keeps telling me I should leave the side of the gods." I explained. I hadn't told anyone about the nightmares, but I decided now was a good time to bring it up. Chiron looked deeply concerned now, his expression darkening.

"Dreams…? What does the voice sound like?"

"I dunno. Raspy and loud. He sounds like he wants to start something. I don't know if that has anything to do with my father or not, but… I really need to find things out for myself."

"… Well, there are a few options I can hand out…" Chiron began, but Mr. D cut him off with a grunt.

"Just send her to Olympus. If we're lucky, maybe they'll get rid of her." He grumbled in annoyance. I completely ignored him, looking at Chiron with a deep and determined frown.

"Well?" I demanded. Chiron sighed.

"If you're to go to Olympus, you must take someone to go with you."

"Just one person?"

"Yes. It's a simple quest. That is all. You will go to Olympus with Percy Jackson and you will see if your father can claim you there. If not, you are to return straight here."

"And if I don't?"

"… We'll have to send someone after you." Chiron stated flatly. I smirked, but more to myself. It sounded easy and it made me happy. I hated working hard, so this simple quest was just like a search and question- Wait…

"You want me to go to Olympus in Greece?" I demanded. Chiron smiled.

"Percy will explain it better. Don't worry… It won't take as long as you think if you live in New York."

"Hmph…"

**xxx**

"You get to go to Olympus?" Alex exclaimed, his mouth wide open before he had finally spoken. Erato frowned.

"Is that even safe for you? All those monsters out there…" He mused. Nox gave me a reassuring smile.

"It'll go fine. Olympus is closer by than you think." She replied. I gave a weak smile, then looked at my feet with a frown, but all three of my friends noticed.

"What's wrong?" Erato asked, tilting his head to look at my face.

"You should be happy that you get to meet your father!" Alex pointed out, grinning as usual. Nox looked at me for a long while before speaking.

"I'm sure your father will accept you, Ritz… I wish you luck." She said quietly. I nodded, then pulled my military jacket on and shoving my silver Roman sword into a leather holster on my hip. I made sure my MP3 was unplugged too. Couldn't walk up to the gods listening to alternative rap and pop, now could I?

"Hey, Ritz?" Nox asked before I turned to leave my cabin. I looked at her.

"What?"

"Please be careful. The gods aren't always… Comprehensive." She whispered the last word to me, but I could have sworn I heard a soft rumble from above. I only nodded my thanks, then left the cabin. The air was sticky and humid that day, a heavy mist hanging through the air. I walked by myself to the Pine Tree on the Hill, where Percy had told me to meet him. A large dragon named Peleus that guarded the large pine on Half-Blood Hill snored as he slept, steam billowing out of his nose.

It made me want to roast marshmallows, but that wasn't what I should be thinking about. I think my ADHD or something acted up due to my nerves. I was nervous. What if my father didn't like me? What if he hated me and could blast me into ash when he saw me? What if he-

No. I couldn't think like that. I had to be confident. If he didn't like me, boo-hoo. I still had a life to attend to. In fact… I pulled a small journal out of my military jacket, staring at the black leather bound cover with silver Greek letters.

My journal that I planned to publish. Boy, people would go coo-coo for coco puffs if they read this! Maybe I could publish it in Ancient Greek too.

My thoughts were interrupted when Percy came up the hill with a new girl. Her hair was like fire it was so red and tied into a scrunchie. She wore a bright yellow shirt with a sun on it, little stick figures holding hands on it and a pair of torn blue jeans with colorful patches here and there.

"Ritz! This is Rachel, she's the Oracle who'll give us a prophecy to follow for the quest…" Percy looked a little uneasy as he spoke, his green eyes darting about. Rachel smiled at me, but it was more of a challenging sort of smile, so I just shrugged.

"Nice to meet you. Now let's hurry this up so I can get some sleep." I responded, shoving my journal into my jacket pocket.

"Ditto." Rachel agreed and I instantly liked her. I didn't think anyone could share my love of sleeping. I just gave her a rare, real smile as Percy just gestured at Rachel before going to talk to Argus, the many-eyed dude, who was more like a lackey than some sort of security guard.

Rachel looked at me for a moment and then her green eyes grew to brighter, almost blindingly and I figured this was it. One of those prophecies Percy and Alex told me to listen closely to. So I waited as her lips parted, her voice sounding like several clones talking at the same time.

"_Lost shall seek the sought,_

_But shall lose the battle fought._

_Undecided will become one._

_Until one is crushed, three will be done._"

Whoa, that was freaky. It's too bad I only heard the last two lines there. I didn't like the sound of it either. _Until one is crushed, three will be done_? Could that mean one of my friends could die? But, I was only going with one person… Maybe the prophecy was wrong…

"Good luck." Rachel murmured to me, looking a little nervous and tired. I guess this Oracle stuff wore her out. I sighed, pulling the bill of my hat down a bit.

"I'll need more than luck." I said under my breath. Percy appeared at my side, almost scaring me half to death because I thought he was Peleus…

"Let's get going." He stated, completely ignoring Rachel's worried look. I frowned, letting Percy say he goodbyes to Rachel before dragging me to the white tin can that he called a van. It was to be our ride to Olympus and I was still skeptical. How in Hades' name are you supposed to take a van to Olympus if it was in Greece?

The car ride was silent for a while, Percy and I looking in opposite directions. I didn't know what to say to him. I babbled and ranted. I wasn't a very good source of entertainment.

"So… Did Clarisse say something to make you mad?" Percy asked at last, turning to look at me with curious green eyes. I stared back at him, blinking as innocently as I could muster.

"Erm… I don't know what you're-"

"Nox mentioned something about it when she and Clarisse got in a fight." Percy interrupted with a little grimace. I tried not to laugh. Nox was truly my hero. She beat me to Clarisse's demise. Sadly, Percy told me Clarisse was still fine and as angry as ever, the same applying to Nox. Dionysus had to break up their fight and he was not happy about that one bit…

"So, what did Clarisse say?" Percy asked again and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, fiddling with the seatbelt with a frown.

"Nothing… She just made me think is all."

"I'm sure you thought before that."

"Well, yea, but… Look," I sighed, irritated, "I want to find out… I wanna know who my dad is, even if he doesn't want me to know. Even if I find out he's some kind of selfish jerk, I still want to know where I get it from because it certainly isn't my mother." Percy looked sad for a minute, then gave me a smile. It felt good to see him smile and I don't know why. It was reassuring and it made me feel better than I did when Rachel told me the prophecy.

"Hey… Think positive. I'm sure you'll find out who your dad is. Zeus is the king of gods, he should know or have some idea." Percy explained. I felt a smile tugging at my lips. I didn't know if that was just Percy's natural power, or any half bloods, but it felt good.

"Right… I can do this." I stated confidently, clicking my seatbelt off as Percy did. We climbed out of the car and I found myself staring up at the Empire State Building. I blinked up at the large, monumental structure with a short moment of fascination, then confusion.

"Wait… The Empire State Building?" I asked, looking at Percy, who got out beside me onto the crowded sidewalk. I looked back up, seeing construction equipment pretty far up, the things looking like dots. Percy followed my gaze for a while, looking a bit nostalgic.

"Yea. Olympus is conveniently located on the 600th floor." He replied to me, ignoring my incredulous look. He must be used to being called crazy, so I kept that comment to myself as he led me inside and to the security desk. A guard had his feet propped up, a book in his face.

"Excuse me…" Percy began, but the guard cut him off.

"Elevator closed for repairs." He said from behind his book. Percy raised an eyebrow and we shared quick looks, then looked back at the guard.

"600th floor." Percy stated.

"Elevator closed for repairs." The security guard repeated and it was really making me angry. He sounded like some kind of robotic toy or something. I looked at Percy, who was frowning thoughtfully. I interrupted his thoughts by slamming my hand on the desk, causing the guard to jump a bit. I think he was expecting a huge wrestler, but when he pulled his book down to look at me, he looked surprised. Probably wasn't expecting a five foot one girl.

"Hey," I stated firmly, "You can't just give us such a deadpan answer without giving us a logical explanation, so spill before I spill your guts onto the nice marble flooring." Percy's mouth opened, but no sound came out. He paled. I think I shocked him. Oops. The security guard stared at me for a moment, then blinked.

"You sound… Like Ares." Was all he said as thunder rumbled somewhere way, way, WAY up above. He cleared his throat, patting his chest, then sighed.

"Sorry, kids… The 600th floor is unavailable… Uhm, someone came in and tampered with the equipment up there." He muttered, still looking at me a bit suspiciously. I just glared at him, tensing up in annoyance as Percy sputtered.

"What? How could someone just come in and 'tamper' with the elevator? We need to see Lord Zeus pronto." He insisted. The guard shrugged.

"Not today, kid… Wait till the upper floors are repaired, then come back and do whatever you want to annoy the gods." He returned, then sat back down. However, he looked unsettled, still staring at me like he recognized me. It was bugging me, but before I could ask what his problem was, Percy was pulling me back outside… Where Argus had apparently ditched us.

"Great," I threw up my hands dramatically, "We're trapped here without any way to get back to camp. Just great!" Percy sighed, scanning the streets up and down with a frown.

"Well… We could always walk-"

"I am so not walking to camp, pretty boy." I retorted, earning a weird look from Percy.

"I meant, walk to my house." He said dryly. I felt my face grow hot and I wished it were dark out. Whether or not he saw my blush, he showed no sign of it.

"Just us?" I asked at last. Percy shrugged.

"It's not far from here. We'll walk there and ask my mom for advice."

"I dunno, Percy…"

"I don't have any coins or a way to make an Iris-message, so we don't have much of a choice." Percy tried again, but I nagged some more.

"I don't feel like walking, though! There's got to be a way to get up there." I grumbled, snapping my eyes to through the doors to the largest building. The security guard was talking on his cell phone. Percy followed my gaze, then looked back at me. He looked sick to me as a devious grin crossed my face.

"Ritz… Ritz, you're starting to look like Travis and Conner."

"I'm starting to feel like Travis and Conner. Come on, Son of Poseidon. I have a plan."

"Ugh…" Percy groaned, but he didn't bother to argue with me. Probably knowing I'd beat him up if he tried arguing anyway. However, the plan wasn't one of my better ideas.

We snuck back into the building, watching as the security guard ranted on about the annoying construction going on upstairs. Percy and I ended up stepping up to an empty elevator shaft. I studied it for a while, then pulled off my military jacket, tying it around my waist tightly.

"Okay, Percy," I began, "All we have to do is climb for a bit, stop, take a break. Then climb some more. Maybe by tomorrow we'll be in Olympus, if it's really up there like you said."

"You want me to climb all that way?! Are you nuts?!" Percy cried. I scowled at him, placing my hands on my hips.

"Hey, I heard you held up the sky for a pretty long time, buddy. If you can hold up the sky for a bit, then you can climb to the 600th floor to Olympus. If not, I'm going alone whether you like it or not." I insisted. Percy frowned, studying my face for a while, then sighed.

"You really wanna find your dad…"

"I do…" I replied after a second to think about this. I did want to find out who my father was, but… There was something inside of me that just wanted to do this for the fun of it, a strong feeling of curiosity and adventure. I had always been lazy, sitting on my butt and watching movies, reading books about adventure and now I was living it… Maybe this whole thing wasn't as bad as I had figured. I was just afraid that the reality that was unfolding wasn't real. I looked at Percy, who was looking up the elevator shaft with a nervous expression on his face.

"All right. Let's see." I mused, scanning the shaft up and down, then stepped out to grab a cord hanging down into the dark abyss of the elevator shaft. I jerked on it, making Percy wince beside me. It trembled and made a whipping sound all the way down the shaft… There was a thunk down below.

"The elevator isn't far down. We could jump first," I suggested, "We might just get a little bruise or-"

"Break our arms and legs?" Percy put in with a frown, his green eyes glaring at me. I blinked, then smiled.

"Or our heads, but it's worth a try, right?" I asked. Percy smacked his forehead. I took that as an okay, then grabbed his arm and jerked him with me. I jumped down. Percy's body tensed up as I gripped his wrist. It didn't take long for my feet to hit the metal roof of the elevator. I winced a little, falling on my knees with Percy at my side.

"You could have warned me!" Percy snapped, his breath coming out in worried gasps. I shrugged a little, but I was panting myself. It was a little scary. My heart was smashing into my ribcage as it pounded adrenaline through my body. I forced myself to my feet, scanning the roof of the elevator.

"Hey… There's a hatch to get inside."

"… Maybe we could restart the elevator and ride it all the way up to the busted floors. Then climb?" Percy asked hopefully. I glanced at him as I bent down to pull open the hatch.

"Mmmm… Good plan, but I hope you mean you. I'm not genius when it comes to hotwiring cars, or elevators for that matter." I said, then hopped down. I landed on my feet and stepped forward for Percy to jump in with me. The elevator was as fancy as the building it was in. I looked at the buttons, running my fingers over them as Percy scanned the small box.

"Well… This is one of those times I wish Annabeth was here." He muttered. I twitched in annoyance at hearing her name, but just shrugged.

"Yea, well. She's not here. We have to make with what we-" A loud clang from above in the shaft made Percy and I jump. We looked up through the hatch, watching the cords tremble and quiver. I frowned, looking at Percy.

"What was that?" I asked. Percy matched my worried and confused expression.

"I don't know, but… I have a bad feeling that we're not alone in this shaft."

"I'll say… We were here first." I sniffed. Percy only rolled his eyes, then looked back up the shaft.

"We need to think of a plan."

"Oh great gods, make the elevator work." I muttered, shaking my head. Percy scowled at me for being arrogant, but I didn't really care. My plans were going down the drain now as I tried to think harder about the situation. However, the sound of gears grinding and groaning made me stiffen. Percy and I looked at each other with wide eyes.

"You don't think…?" My voice trailed. Percy just shrugged a bit. Suddenly, the elevator started moving. I don't know why, but that scared me so I latched onto Percy's arm.

"Oh gods!" I managed. Percy looked up through the hatch, watching as the cords rippled in mid-air as the elevator moved.

"That's weird… The guard said elevator was busted, right? So why's it moving?" He asked, then looked at me. I let go of his arm immediately, hiding my pink face by clearing my throat.

"Well," I answered slowly, "Maybe the construction guys are testing the elevator. If we're lucky, it'll go up all the way or at least part way. That'll save us some time."

"I guess… But what if it's not the construction guys?" Percy asked as the elevator dinged, a number glowing on the button panel.

"Who else could it be?" I asked, rolling my eyes, but before Percy could add on another number dinged and the doors pulled open to reveal a dark hallway. I looked at Percy, who was already stepping out ahead of me. I followed behind. The only light in the hallway came from a huge window at the end of the hall, letting the dim light from outside in.

"That was weird…" Percy mumbled, scanning the hall. I shrugged.

"Hey, it was convenient. Now we just need to get back in the elevator, climb through the hatch and climb the rest of the way up the shaft. We should be in Olympus in no time." I replied.

"No one's going to Olympus." A tough guy voice said from behind us. Percy's eyes got wide and he whirled around in the darkness.

"Oh great." He growled in annoyance, but it was really quiet like he didn't want the intruder to hear. I turned to face a REALLY big guy. I mean, he was huge. Bigger than me by far. He dressed like a biker with a red muscle shirt, black jeans to match his black leather duster, and wraparound sunglasses.

"Nice seein' you again, Percy Jackson." The guy said with a very cruel smirk. Percy looked like he was going to punch the guy, but he said nothing. For some reason, I was getting really pissed too. He was acting like some tough guy off the movies. However, he was a lot worse, I soon realized….

****

**A/N: Okay, I'm sure you've already guessed who the so-called intruder is… Hehe… Anyway, I hope characters are in character. There's a lot more to come. I went to watch the Kalamazoo Symphony on Saturday and it gave me so much inspiration for the next couple chapters! And yes, OCs are still allowed to enter this fic. Just read the OC guidelines on my page. They're simple, so… Yup. Thank you so much for reading, you guys! And thanks for the reviews! (no flames, please.)**


	5. A History Lesson

**WOOO! Another chapter and pretty long. C: I love long chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians belongs to Rick Riordan!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**Erato belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein Storm**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs to **_**ME**_**!**

**Warnings: Randomness~ Huzzah!**

****

Chapter Five: A History Lesson

Percy must have recognized this jerk-off because he just glared at him like he was a monster from Hades. This guy looked really rough and gave off a bad vibe. What made me angry was he was in our way and saying that we had to turn back.

"Who're you to tell us we can't go to Olympus?" I demanded angrily, clenching my fists at my sides. My hands were itching to grab my sword and stab this loser. The man looked down at me, because I was so much shorter.

"Well… I was expecting your little girlfriend to be at your side… Who's this?" He asked, turning back to Percy, who frowned. He looked calmer now, like he was forcing himself to stay calm. I don't get why.

"Why aren't we allowed in Olympus?" He asked. The man shrugged, folding his arms over his chest.

"I have no reason to answer that… I'd figured you'd have guessed it by now, Seaweed Breath." He responded.

"Let's pretend I don't know." Percy muttered. The guy only laughed out loud and it almost shook the hallway. He reached up, pulling his glasses off and I was shocked to find that there weren't normal eyes in his sockets. Instead, twin orbs of flames glowed brightly in the sockets. It made me shrink down a size, so I just took a step closer to Percy. This guy wasn't just a jerk, he was a creepy jerk.

"You already know some idiot messed up the elevator shaft, lil' cousin. Shouldn't that tell you anything?" He asked, chuckling still. Little cousin? I was so lost now, so I decided to speak up.

"Percy, who is this guy?" I asked.

"You must not know your history, kid," The guy butted in before Percy could answer, "Take a wild stab, girl, and maybe you'll be right. If not, I can just chuck you out the window." That's it. I lost my cool.

"Who do you think you are, huh? You can't threat me and not plan on carrying it out. And who said I didn't know who you were?" I snapped. The guy's flaming eye twitched a bit, like he was annoyed, but then he smirked.

"You said you didn't know who I was."

"So?"

"Heh, you're a dim light bulb."

"Hypocrite." I retorted and his eyes glowed to show his annoyance. Percy winced and jabbed me in the ribs.

"Ritz, watch it… His name is Ares, get it?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at me. I blinked, studying the guy again, then scratched the back of my head.

"Well, this is awkward. I really need to study." I muttered.

"S'okay," Ares said with a light shrug as he placed his glasses back on, "Maybe if you scat quickly, I won't turn you guys into piles of ash."

"Hey, wait a minute," I protested, "You still didn't answer Percy's question!" Ares suddenly bent down, putting his face dangerously close to mine as a very sickening smirk curled onto his scarred face.

"Who in Zeus' name said I had to answer to him, huh, girl?" He asked, his breath smelling like smoke. It was really hot like fire too. It made me wonder if his insides were burning, but I couldn't speak. I was too freaked out since he was close enough to tear my face off. Percy jerked on my arm as Ares leaned back.

"Someone came in here to destroy the elevator shaft," Percy began slowly, "Someone wanted to make sure nobody got to Olympus." Ares shrugged.

"Close." He replied. I frowned, finally finding my voice.

"Someone wanted to keep others out of Olympus… Not just somebody…" I added on. Ares snapped his fingers and I could have sworn I saw sparks fly from his fingers.

"Bingo. Looks like one of those Titan morons, one of the ones left over from the war, was hangin' around here. Didn't want a certain someone to get to Olympus…"

"But who?" Percy and I asked in unison. Ares snorted.

"If I knew, that punk would be dead. Don't ask me. Now get out of here before I blast you." He snapped. He looked really irritated now. I guessed it was because he didn't know, so I opened my big mouth.

"I guess the gods don't know that much." I blurted. Percy stared at me. Ares' hot flaming glare turned to me. I stood there for a second before Percy jumped in.

"She's got an attitude." He stated. I glared at him.

"Excuse me? I have an attitude? Compared to him, I'm a little angel."

"Watch your mouth, girl," Ares growled, "Making enemies with me isn't fun. Just ask Percy." I looked at Percy with a raised an eyebrow. Percy looked like he wanted to strangle himself. Or maybe Ares. Or both of them.

"All right, we're leaving."

"You're right. You are." Ares stated and moved before Percy or I could even reaction. He swung his arm out, slamming it into Percy's gut. Percy slammed into me and we slid down the hallway like ice.

"Have fun, twerps!" Ares called after us. The next thing I knew, my back was crashing into the glass of the only window. I flailed, trying to grab at something, but I only found Percy's shirt, dragging him out the window with me.

"Percy!!! I HATE FALLING!" I yelled, the wind pushing down on us as we sailed through the sky and down the side of the Empire State Building. Percy brought his fingers to his mouth.

"Agreed!" He called to me, then whistled REALLY loudly. At first, I thought he was crazy. If he was whistling for a cab, he's not going to get it since we were falling from pretty high up. The people and cars looked like dots from where we were falling. However, I heard a loud whinny from a horse and managed to crane my neck. A huge black pegasus came swooping through the sky and caught Percy, who jerked me onto the horse behind him. Freaking out, I just clasped my arms around Percy's waist tightly.

"Oh gods," I whined, "This is seriously not cool."

"If you hadn't of provoked him, we wouldn't have gotten that smash in the gut." Percy grumbled. I didn't answer, noticing how he was scrunching his stomach it. I guess Ares has more strength than I thought. I was feeling a little sore, but only because Percy got blasted into me.

"Hey," I mumbled, keeping my eyes closed to avoid looking down, "Sorry about that… He was just making me angry." Percy sighed.

"It's okay… Ares has a knack for making people angry by just existing… I understand." He explained. The rest of the ride was silent. I kept my eyes squeezed shut, trying not to make my grip on Percy so tight. I could tell his gut and ribs hurt from Ares' attack. I felt a little guilty for getting Percy hurt. I think I did more barking than fighting. I should have been ready for that attack, but I guess my temper got the best of me. I had to work on that, just in case…

**xxx**

Percy landed the pegasus by the stables. I was still a little shaky, but I got off eventually. I watched Percy talk to the horse, calling him Blackjack. Fitting name, duh. I just frowned, folding my arms over my chest. I figured I should go break the news to Nox, Erato, and Alex that my quest was a complete failure, but… I didn't want to. It'd be a little embarrassing. I'll just wait until someone tells them.

"Hey," A familiar voice said from behind me, "You're both alive. I thought you were dead…" It was the disappointed sound of Dionysus. I turned to look at him as he came waltzing over to Percy and I.

"Sorry to disappoint." Percy mumbled under his breath as he closed the stables. Dionysus gave a light shrug, then frowned at us both.

"I'm needed back in Olympus… I don't know what trouble you caused-"

"Who said we did anything?!" I cried angrily. Dionysus's eyes flickered with purple flames. If there was one thing I learned on my short quest, it was that gods got angry real easy.

"Ares said you two tried to get in after he said no passage. Not that I care any less what that guy thinks," He sighed, waving his hand as if to shoo us, "Anyway, someone's trying to prevent access into Olympus. Chiron will be here to make sure you snots don't mess anything else up."

"Yes, sir." I saluted lazily, which Percy smacked my hand for. Dionysus left without another word. I watched him go, frowning.

"Didn't you learn anything from that fight with Ares?" Percy demanded, glaring at me like a mother would to her child. I shrugged.

"What fight? Ares kicked our butts fair and square…"

"Because of your big mouth."

"Yea, I know… Sorry. I'm just tired. I'm gonna got to bed."

"What about dinner?" Percy asked with a frown.

"Dunno. What about it?" I asked, then turned away, and headed back to my cabin with a frown. The Hermes cabin was completely empty, the others probably at their evening activities. I was ready for bed, but interrupted when I heard a snicker behind me. I turned to find Clarisse smirking at me.

"I heard someone tampered with the elevator to Olympus…"

"Wasn't me."

"Che. Don't act all innocent. It's got something to do with you." Clarisse retorted, stamping her foot in the grass and squishing the moist plants. I almost felt bad for any dryads who happened to get in Clarisse's way.

"I didn't do anything, Clarisse. Leave me alone." I muttered. Clarisse shrugged, taking a quick glance around, then looking back at me as if she were checking if the coast was clear.

"Not to mention you shot off your big mouth to my dad." She put in; only her voice took on a very dangerous, threatening edge. I glared at her, then smirked.

"You're right. I did. I was happy about it too."

"You'll pay for that! Percy's already paying for challenging my dad." Clarisse literally spat on the ground. I blinked. Percy fought Ares and won? Of course, he won. Percy's still alive, isn't he? But, gods… Just being too close to Ares gave me chills, even though I really wanted to fight him too.

"Percy must've been pretty tough then…" I murmured more to myself.

"Or stupid." Clarisse mocked. I glared at her.

"Hey, lay off. At least Percy has the right amount of guts, unlike you, ya fat pig." I snapped. It came out faster than I intended and I think I was about to die. Clarisse's eyes ignited with pure rage and she lunged at me. I dodged to the side quickly, but she spun around and grabbed the front of my shirt, jerking me off my feet.

"You better take that back, you worthless twig, or I'll snap your spine!" She barked in my face. I groaned, reaching up and wiping her saliva off my face.

"Guh-ross! Your breath stinks!" Why was I still talking, I wondered? I was going to die if she punched me with her beefy fist! Clarisse pulled her head back, probably ready to smack it on mine, but I managed to wriggle free, shoving her back. It took a lot to do so, but I did it, stumbling back.

"Come back here, you coward!" Clarisse roared and she bounded after me as I spun around and bolted away. Gahhhh! Where's Chiron when you need him?! I don't have a plan, no way can I kick her butt! I was about ready to stop because as soon as I thought this, an idea popped into my head. I ran around the cabin, Clarisse following at my heels.

I was getting dizzy, but I kept running around the cabin with Clarisse hurling violent insults with twists of other languages in there, probably Spanish and Greek, but mostly English. I ran around another corner, only to find out, Clarisse stopped chasing me. I got a sinking feeling, crinkling up my nose as I listened. It was quiet…

"You're dead, rat!" Clarisse's voice yelled from up above me and I looked up to see her standing on the roof of the Hermes cabin. I yelped and rolled to the side as she jumped down, probably wanting to crush me under her feet. I didn't have time to get up of the ground as she jerked me up by the back of my shirt. She tore me backwards, slamming into the cabin wall. I winced, pain jolting up and down my spine. Unfortunately, the back of my head made a weird, sickening crack sound and my world plunged into utter darkness.

I think I was dreaming again because I found myself huddled up in a corner of a weird, dark cavern. There was a huge metal door with an engraving of a torch on it. I got up on wobbly legs and I noticed I had band-aids and bandages on me. I had the weird flavor of chocolate and vanilla mixed in my mouth. I went to the door carefully, noting that it was partially opened, so I got ready to open it the rest of the way, but I stopped when I heard voices on the other side.

"Kronos has failed… He is barely a conscious in the winds of time." A male's deep voice muttered.

"So… What do you wish us to do, sir?" A female's hissing voice asked.

"Imbeciles! I can do something! If someone would just hang onto-" A loud clatter cut off another, deep and gruff male's voice.

"Silence yourself, Atlas… There could be eavesdroppers…" A male's cool voice responded. He sounded somewhat like the first guy. Being a nosy moron, I peered through the crack in the door. The female looked really weird, her body pale, and white like chalk, her eyes glowing red. Her legs were pretty funky too; the left one was hairy with a hoof while the right was almost human-like if it wasn't made of shining bronze. Fangs hung out of her mouth as she hissed at the largest of the men in the room, who was holding something huge. I knew him immediately. Who could forget Atlas, the guy who has to hold the sky?

The other two men looked like exact twins! They both hair black hair and curious eyes that were watching the empousai hiss at Atlas. One of them was wearing glasses, which he pushed up with his index finger. They both wore really fancy outfits too, like they were about to sneak into the White House or something. However, one of them did have a lot of tiny little scratches all over his face like a tree branch attacked him.

"Just take this and I'll find 'em! I'll bring this world down!" Atlas roared, squirming under the weight of the sky.

"Shut up," The twin without the scratches snapped in annoyance, "You're acting like a baby."

"Well… He IS holding up the sky, Epimetheus." The other twin pointed out in a surprisingly calm and gentle tone.

"So what? He's irritating." Epimetheus retorted. Atlas only roared in fury and agony. Suddenly, the empousai hissed, turning to face the door.

"Intruder!" She hissed and her red eyes locked with mine. In that moment, I felt icy cold water drench me.

I blinked and I woke up to find Nox, Alex, and Erato hovering over me. I sputtered a bit and sat up; shaking the water they had dumped on me from my head.

"Whose idea was it to dump ice water on my head?" I demanded, shivering. All three of them pointed to someone different, so I gave up on accusations and decided to fill my three friends in on the information I had received from my quest and my nightmare.

"You mean… Epimetheus is with Atlas?" Erato asked, looking deeply concerned. I nodded, leaning on my knees in the grass.

"Yea. Someone wanna tell me what this is about?" I asked. Nox frowned thoughtfully, tracing her finger over her knee.

"Well… Epimetheus, Atlas, Prometheus, and Menoetius are all brothers and sons of Iapetus. Iapetus was one of the Titans and Kronos' brother." She explained.

"Was?" I asked, curiously. Alex nodded, sitting next me to and poking the ground.

"Yea. According to Percy, he went on a trip to the Underworld and met up with old Iapetus. He tricked Iapetus to fall into the River of Forgetfulness. He didn't even remember his name. He's trapped in the Underworld, thinking his name is Bob." He informed. I stared at him.

"Bob?"

"Don't ask me. Percy came up the with name off the top of his head."

"Gods, the least he could have done was give him a good name." I muttered, then sighed scratching my arm. I had move, didn't like just sitting there like statue.

"Does that mean they're going to get their other brother out of Tartarus?" Erato spoke up with a frown. I looked at him.

"You mean Menoetius?" I asked. Nox frowned.

"I don't think they'll be reaching him anytime soon. According to legend, Menoetius was condemned to Tartarus with the other Titans after being struck by one of Zeus's lightening bolts." She explained.

"Sounds painful." Alex mused. I rolled my eyes.

"No dip," I said, then looked at Nox, "Any idea why they're getting together? I mean, didn't Prometheus side with Kronos during that battle before?"

"Who knows? Maybe they're just gathering each other up to watch each other's backs in case Zeus finds them and kicks their butts." Nox muttered.

"Yea…" I mumbled, but there was still something on my mind. Those twins, Prometheus and Epimetheus. Something looked familiar about them, but I couldn't place my finger on it. Oh well. Probably not important.

**xxx**

Dinner that night was pretty mellow. I gave another silent prayer as I sacrificed a portion of my food to the fire pit. I made the same one as always, but I was beginning to think it was in vain. Whoever my father was, he obviously wasn't ready for me to find out who he was. However, just because he didn't want me to find out who he was, doesn't mean I was going to stop trying to find him. There had to be a reason.

"So," Travis drawled beside me, "I heard you and Percy had a run in with Lord Ares."

"Bite me." I responded dully and stuffed a portion of food into my mouth to refrain from answering any more of his badgering questions. He and Conner only whined, but went off on a bragging session. I kept glancing around the pavilion at Nox, Alex, and Erato, wishing they'd give me some sort of sign. I dunno, something to let me go on an adventure.

After dinner, I walked past the Ares Cabin, finding to my annoyance that Clarisse was bragging how she beat me up, which is a total lie. Nox said I passed out as soon as my head hit the side of the cabin. She came by and showed Clarisse what happens when you mess with her friends.

I went past the Hermes Cabin and approached the Hades Cabin. I didn't even bother to knock and peeked in. Nico was sitting on his bed… Without his shirt on and a towel on his head, probably just having taken a shower. I ready to dart outta there, but he looked up and saw me.

"Ritz?" He asked, perplexed. I gave a weak smile, feeling my face grow outrageously hot.

"Hi… Uhm, can I come in?" I asked. Nico shrugged.

"You're pretty much already in anyway. Sure." He replied. I stepped in, closing the door. I knew it was against the rules for two people to be alone in a cabin, but I had to do some research.

"I have a question," I began, "Is it true that Iapetus doesn't remember anything about himself or his past?" Nico raised an eyebrow.

"… Yes, it's true. Why do you want to know?" He asked. I frowned.

"I had this weird dream… His sons, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Atlas were in it. I don't really know what they were doing, but… It just seemed suspicious is all." I admitted, shrugging. Nico let his towel fall on his shoulders as he ran a hand through his wet hair thoughtfully.

"Well… That does sound suspicious. I'm guessing you wanted to ask Iapetus something about it?" He asked. I nodded. He sighed.

"Even if Iapetus had his memory, he wouldn't tell you. He was a jerk before now… It's kind of hopeless if you ask him. Not to mention their other brother, Menoetius is in Tartarus. I don't know what to tell you, Ritz." He explained. I frowned, leaning on the wall.

"Great… Well, could you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Make something up for me."

"… Ritz, you're not gonna-"

"I need to find out what's going on. It's what I'm good at. Being stupid and nosy." I insisted. Nico frowned.

"It's got something to do with your father." He accused. I blinked, then looked at him blankly.

"What does?" I asked. Nico just shook his head, then got off the bed.

"All right. Fine, but if you get in trouble, don't expect me to protect you-"

"Che, yea right. I don't need a son of Hades to protect me."

"-Percy isn't going to come save you either." Nico added. I frowned at him.

"… I don't need him to protect me either. I'm taking Erato, Nox, and Alex with me." I stated confidently. Nico scowled.

"You want to get them killed too?" He demanded. I paused for a second, thinking that over. No, I didn't want to get them killed. They were good friends, but that was the reason I wanted them with me. I trusted them the most.

"They won't die," I said, "I'd give my life before I let any of them get hurt. I don't even care if I end up in the Field of Punishment." Nico's eyes flickered as if he were thinking over my words. He knew what I was talking about. He was the son of Hades. Death was always surrounding him like a thick cold mist.

"Fine… I'll cover for you, but that's it…" He responded at last. I nodded.

"Thanks, Nico."

"Yea, whatever… Just be careful."

**xxx**

I gave the run down to Erato, Alex, and Nox. They immediately agreed to the plan and that made me nervous.

"Are you sure you guys are willing to risk this?" I asked. Alex nodded.

"Anything for you~ Besides, this'll be fun!" He pointed out, making me roll my eyes. Erato nodded.

"We're friends. We have to stick together." He agreed. Nox looked at me with a determined frown.

"We'll follow you to the Mountain of Despair where Atlas holds the sky. It's where they ought to be." She explained. I scanned their faces for a moment. They all shared something in common and that was their relation to Zeus and it made me wonder if Zeus had a knack for danger. Either way, I nodded to them.

"All right… We're taking off now. Get your stuff and lets meet at Half-Blood Hill ASAP." I commanded. With that, we split up quickly. I bolted to my cabin, grabbing only a few things. I had my military jacket on, a pair of torn black jeans, and the _Gorillaz_ t-shirt I wore to my first day at camp. I only had a small messenger bag that went around my shoulder and hung on my waist. I packed it with ambrosia, my MP3, and a few more items.

It was almost time for the camp sing-along thing that came around, so I had to put my butt in gear. I couldn't get caught. No way, no how. I raced like I was racing against April, the annoying wood nymph. I got to the Pine Tree on Half-Blood Hill to find Nox and Erato already waiting.

"Where's Alex?" I asked. Nox shrugged, having fitted herself with a navy blue long-sleeved shirt with an army green vest and a pair of blue jeans.

"Late as always." She responded dryly. Her celestial bronze katana was strapped onto her back, glittering in the dim moonlight. She had a small pack tied onto her silver belt, probably containing the same things I had.

"He calls it 'fashionably' late." Erato drawled, wearing a long white t-shirt with gold laced in it as well as his black and red shorts. He wore a small bag on his back that matched his black lace up boots. We looked like normal kids sneaking out to make trouble and I was totally psyched now. All my worries died as excitement took over.

"Hey, you guys!" Alex came jogged up the hill quickly, wearing a pair of rebooks. He wore a t-shirt with a basketball on it and little words that said something in a different language, probably French. A sword hung from his waist, clinking against the buttons that went down the side of his faded jeans.

"We ready to go?" I asked. Alex smirked.

"Heck yea. Let's get this show on the road." He agreed.

"We need to be careful," Erato advised, then sent Alex a harsh glare, "And keep our voices down."

"My bad." Alex shrugged, but was still grinning wickedly with no signs of his apology being real. Nox checked her watch, frowning.

"Hurry. The camp fire sing along is almost over." She warned. I nodded.

"Time to hit the road." And we were off.

**A/N: Yes! Some, as Flapjack would say -Achem-, ADVENTUUUUURE! Yup, looks like there's gonna be more action now. Any suggestions, as I am sure I have mentioned before, would be greatly appreciated. I am still allowing OCs to enter, but you may have to wait for a bit to see them appear, depending on what their status is. Like, if they're a camper or if they're working with the badies. xD So, yup, I think that's it… :D Thanks for reading everyone and please review! (Flames not included)**


	6. I Hate Corn

**Yay, another chapter. Wootness!!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians belongs to Rick Riordan!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**Erato belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein Storm**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs to **_**ME**_**!**

**Warnings: Randomness. O.o**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter Six: I Hate Corn

Our first problem began when we were riding a train to Ohio. I was squished between Alex and Nox with Erato on Nox's other side. Some old guy was sitting on the other side of Alex and he was yammering away about his deed in World War II. I was about ready to knock grandpa off his seat there if he didn't shut his dentures.

"Why, back in mah day, you youngsters wouldn't dress like some hip-hop gangsters!" He bellowed, then chuckled bitterly. I glared at him, twitching angrily.

"Calm down," Alex tried, trying not to laugh, "He's just an old guy… He doesn't know what he's saying." I growled, clenching my fists in my lap.

"But he's so annoying…" I groaned past gritted teeth. Nox had clamped her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth. She looked about as annoyed as I was. Erato was took busy reading a newspaper he found on the seat.

"And back in mah day, we never walked round with weapons! I'd been shot by them Nazis!" The old man exclaimed. I was about to open my mouth and shout, but stopped when I realized the man could see our weapons. Nox dropped her hands from her ears and her head snapped to look at the old man. Erato even dropped his newspaper to stare.

"What?" I asked. The old hobo man grinned to show off nasty yellow teeth. I grimaced as he cackled.

"You kiddies are bad, aren't ya? Runnin' round with weapons," His voice cracked at this point and grew high-pitched, "Lord Prometheus and Epimetheus don't like naughty half-bloods. No, no, no, no!" Erato and Nox leapt up away from the man, stepping back. Alex and I followed, but the old man's arm shot out and grabbed my arm, jerking me closer.

His yellow teeth looked sharper and more dangerous now as he grinned at me, his face only a few inches from mine.

"Come with me, little demigod… He'll want to use you very nicely…" He hissed and suddenly he began to grow larger. He still looked somewhat human as he grew, except for the fact that he had the body of a big lion and a long, leathery looking tail with thorns on it.

"Great!" Alex tore out his sword and jumped into action before anyone else could. He jumped and slashed his blade right into the creature's arm. The creature shrieked and stumbled back, shaking its bloody arm. Alex caught the back of my jacket and tore me behind him, making me stumble into Erato.

"What the heck…?!" I couldn't even finish my sentence.

"It's a manticore," Nox growled, whipping out her katana, "A really nasty thing."

"That's rude," The manticore roared, "I have a name! I am Mr. Callahan! I will defeat you insubordinate rascals! I will bring you in to Lord Prometheus and Lord Epimetheus!"

"And I will shut you up!" Alex barked and lunged forward. Even now, Alex still had that grin on his face. I was worried. I tore out my sword as well, but I had a feeling this wasn't going to go good.

The manticore bellowed, shaking the empty car on the train. Isn't that ironic? The car we were in was completely empty… Suddenly, spikes shot like they were catapulted from the manticore's tail. Alex swung his sword out and knocked a few away. I got a few back too, but I was getting uneasy. I wasn't much of a fighter, just as talker! And a moron…

"We need to ditch the train!" Erato called over the racket.

"Erato's right! This thing is way too small for us to fight him off!" Nox agreed.

"I say we kill him now!" Alex protested. I was stuck, so I just did the first thing I could at that moment. Block the next wave of spikes that hurdled through the air at us. Some of them we had to duck as they shot past us and exploded into the back of the car. Screams from the mortals in the other cars echoed into our own.

"We have to flee," I yelled as the train creaked and the manticore roared, "There are too many people on this train! I won't have any mortals killed on our account!" Alex considered this and nodded.

"All right. Fine, let's go, but how do we get to the exit with this thing on our tails?" He asked, glaring at Mr. Callahan, who shrieked at our refusal to attack him anymore. I think enough of his green blood was splattered on the car. The stench of his wound was getting powerfully disgusting.

"I'll distract him," I said suddenly, "You three move past him as fast as you can. I'll find you guys when I ditch the train."

"We're not jumping off without you!" Nox cried in horror.

"Yea! You might jump off a mile away from us!" Erato agreed.

"We'll wait at the door for you and we'll all jump off together!" Alex broke in and we stuck with that plan. Sounded good, but I still to this day have no idea why I chose to be the sacrificial lamb to fend off the manticore.

"Hey," I yelled at Mr. Callahan, "Over here, you ugly sack of stupid! Come here and get me unless you're too much of a coward!" Mr. Callahan roared.

"I am no coward!! Ungrateful half-blood!!" He shrieked and charged at me. I nodded to my friends, who nodded back. I led Mr. Callahan to the back of the car. He completely ignored Erato, Nox, and Alex, which was sort of bad in some aspects. He almost trampled them to get to me, but he didn't go after them. Thank the gods for that, but now I had to deal with old ugly face.

Mr. Callahan threw a great amount of spikes in my direction, which I just barely managed to fend off. I dodged a few, which struck the seats and freed tons of white stuffing. Mr. Callahan peered through the mess to grin at me with yellow, sharp teeth.

"Here, little half-blood! Come out, come out wherever you may be!" He called, then swiped his hand through the mess, where I was waiting with my sword sticking straight up. He let out a high-pitched howl as his hand was ultimately sliced off as disgusting goo spurt from the wound and at my face. I ducked as he stumbled and flailed. I took this chance to dart forward and between his four pair of legs. I let out a cry when one of his claws caught onto the corner of my pants, tearing me back.

I quickly tore at my leg, leaving behind a small strip of jeans as I scrambled out behind him. I avoided his swinging tail and leapt into the next car, where Erato, Nox, and Alex were waiting. I was met with Alex's wide grin.

"Ya got a little manticore blood here…" He reached out and wiped it off my cheek. I rolled my eyes.

"This isn't time for you flirts, Alex." I retorted, but I didn't mind that he got rid of the blood for me. I hated touching that stuff.

"Come on! We need to jump now or never!" Nox called, her grip on a lever by the doors.

"Let's do this!" Alex and I announced at the same time. Nox nodded and jerked on the lever. Immediately, the entire train lunched and screeched. I fell back on the floor with Alex landing on top of me and Erato on top of him and Nox on the top of the dog pile.

"Mmf! Get off!" I groaned into Alex's shoulder.

"As soon as he gets off a me!" Alex complained, pushing on Erato's shoulder.

"Working on it." Erato grunted, pushing Nox to her feet. Alex followed and pulled me to my feet. The train was slowing down, not quite stopping. Nox finally tore open the door, stepping back with a worried look on her face.

"You can do it, Nox. Just think-"

"Just think that if you don't jump, you'll be shredded by Mr. Callahan the Manticore." Alex interrupted by consoling. Nox jumped right after he spoke, followed by Erato, Alex, and I. We hit the grassy ground just on the edge of a forest that led to a huge cornfield. Behind us, we could hear the loud roar of Mr. Callahan. We pulled ourselves up quickly and bolted into the woods like a gang of runaways.

"Snap, crackle, pop, Rice Crispies," I exclaimed as I ran along side Erato and Nox, "That was close! I thought he was going to kill me…"

"That was awesome, Ritz! You showed him!" Alex laughed. Erato nodded.

"That was pretty risky, though. Are you sure you're all right?" He asked, eyeing the goo that was trailing in the grass behind us. I nodded, wiping sweat from my forehead as I gripped my sword in the other hand.

"Yea, just great! Haven't done this much work since my mom made me clean my room." I admitted, which made Alex laugh some more.

"Guh! Hate to ruin your guys's moment of relief, but he's coming after us!" Nox cried as a loud crash came from behind us. Stupid me, I looked over my shoulder as I ran and saw that Mr. Callahan was coming up a few feet behind us. He was still leaving trails of green goo from his missing hand, but he was running after us at top speed, his tail throwing spikes as he moved.

I almost tripped so I quickly looked forward, dodging a flying spike. Dodging and running is pretty hard, let me tell you. Not the greatest experience.

"Run into the cornfield," Nox advised, "And split up! We'll meet on the other side and be careful!"

"Right!" The rest of us agreed in unison and we took off into the cornfield, going in different directions. Mr. Callahan screamed in frustration behind us, stopping for a split second to find out whom he would follow. I didn't look back this time to see whom he had chosen and kept running, heading for the other side of the cornfield. I felt sorry for the farmer who owned this land because behind me, I could hear this year's harvest getting trampled by a manticore.

I ducked down for a second to catch my breath. I held my hand over my heart, panting for much needed air. I was getting hot and sweaty in my jacket, so I tore it off and tied it around my waist as tightly as I could so the material dug into my sides. I heard a loud crash and clamped my hands over my mouth, hunching in the shadows of the corn stalks.

It sounded like someone was coming toward me and it was making me uneasy. Being the complete fool that I was, I leapt to my feet and bolted toward the end of the cornfield. I ran through the tall stalks, getting cut on my way. I had been smacked by people loads of time, but let me tell ya, corn stalks are much better smackers than people.

I could see green grass as I continued to run and I was so ready to taste the freedom of corn, which I am never going to eat again, by the way. Unfortunately, as soon as I ran out, I was met with Mr. Callahan and his horribly smelly breath. I felt a scream come up my throat and echo into the forest ahead of me as Mr. Callahan bellowed with laughter.

"HAHAHAHAAA!!! VICTORY! I was going to take you back to my lords safely, but now I think I'll chop off your hands for chopping off mine!" He chortled, then reached out with his good hand. I was too frozen to move and knew my life was about to end.

At least, until a small bolt of lightening struck Mr. Callahan's wrist. His entire body began to spasm as he shrieked so loudly, I had to cover my ear for fear of my eardrums busting. I waited until the last scream escaped the manticore to drop my hands. He burst into green dust as the lightening vanished, leaving me to pant in horror.

"Ritz! Ritz! Are you all right?" Erato came racing up the edge of the cornfield to me. I gasped at last, not realizing that I had been holding my breath. Erato touched my shoulder, looking at me worriedly.

"Are you all right? I tried to get here as fast I could… I asked for help…"

"That was you?" I asked, staring at him in surprise. Erato gave a crooked smile.

"Yea… Son of Zeus, remember?" He asked. I only nodded stiffly. Erato looked around a bit, frowning.

"Have you seen Alex and Nox?" He asked, concerned. I blinked, then looked around quickly. I cupped my hands around my mouth, turning to the cornfield.

"ALEX!!! NOX!!!" I shouted, my voice carrying through the field. Erato frowned, listening after I yelled a few times.

"Maybe they…"

"No! Erato, don't think like that… You're scaring me." I murmured, tensing up at the mere thought of losing Nox and Alex already. Just when I was about to give up hope, a voice came from behind me.

"Heyyy! You guys you're actually alive!" Alex exclaimed. I whirled around and glared, doing the first thing that came to my mind.

"You jerk! You totally scared me! I thought that thing got you!" I yelled at him, clenching my fists. Alex blinked, then smiled sheepishly.

"I got here a while a go… Sorry I didn't jump in and do anything. I got tangled up in the barbed wire the farmer put around his portion of the forest." He tried, but I was just too angry to care about his torn up pant legs.

"You're so mean! I can't believe I was about to cry about you! I outta punch your face in!" I shouted at him and reeled my fist back, but a familiar grip that belonged to Nox caught my fist.

"Whoa there," Nox exclaimed, lowering my fist, "Cool it… At least we're all alive."

"Hmph." Was my totally intelligent response.

"Dude, not cool…" Erato muttered, jabbing Alex in the ribs. Alex laughed nervously, then looked up at the sky when a drop of water landed on his nose.

"Awww, man… It's raining…" He complained. I looked up, holding my hand out as rain drops began to patter down on us. Nox cursed in Ancient Greek as the rain began to pour down on us.

"Great! Now what?" I complained, holding my sword over my head, even though it wouldn't do much good. My hat and hair, my entire body for that matter, were soaking wet in a matter of minutes.

"We need to find someplace to stay!" Erato called over the roar of the rain.

"How do we do that in the middle of nowhere?!" Nox yelled. She probably would've yelled even if it weren't raining. Alex was holding his sword over his head too, looking around through the rain.

"Somebody has to own this place! Come on, let's find the guy's house!" He called. Reluctantly, we all followed him through the muggy, wet terrain as water drenched us to the bone.

**xxx**

We did find the farmhouse eventually. Thank the gods a nice old couple, who weren't manticores, lived there. They let us in and kindly let us warm up. They had grand children close enough to our age, so we had clothes to change into while our other clothes dried.

Unfortunately, the only clothes I could really fit into were a pair of purple jeans with yellow splatters of paint on it and a red blouse with frills on the sleeves. I sat in the living room with a mug of hot chocolate, shuddering only a bit from how warm I felt. I sipped the hot chocolate, frowning down at the floor.

I think this adventure thing was starting to get me nervous. I just didn't feel ready anymore to fight off old men who turn into manticores or creepy cornfields. I sighed, leaning back on the couch.

"How's the hot chocolate?" A voice asked. I looked up to see Alex walk in. He was wearing a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a white t-shirt. I frowned, sitting up.

"It's fine. How are your ankles?" I returned, eyeing his bandaged up ankles. Alex shrugged as he walked with a slight limp to come and sit beside me.

"Not bad."

"You're limping."

"So?"

"Ohhh, this is all my fault!" I wailed and set my cup down to bury my face in my hands miserably. I could feel Alex looking at me.

"It's not your fault, Ritz. The barbed wire just came outta nowhere…"

"I'm the one who dragged you guys here. Now you're hurt. Next time… Next time, you won't be able to come up behind me." I whined, looking at him. Alex's eyes flickered, his mischievous grin dying as a sad expression came over his face. It was a little odd to see him not smiling because he always was.

"Ritz… It's all right. You asked if we wanted to come on this quest with you. We agreed. We could have turned it down, so anything that happens on this trip is our own fault. Like the barbed wire is my fault." He explained. I sighed, messing with a black curl near my ear nervously.

"Yea… But if I hadn't of brought it up-"

"It's still not your fault. Because then it'd be Greg's fault for bringing you to camp and his mom's fault for giving birth to him and his mom's mom's fault for-"

"All right, I get it! It's no one's fault!" I laughed. The grin returned to Alex's face as powerful as ever.

"Good. Ats what I like to hear… So…"

"What?" I asked with a frown, noticing his grin grow wider.

"You were worried about me, huh?" He asked. Anger flared up into my cheeks, turning them red as I clenched my fists in my lap.

"YEA. YOUR POINT?" I ground out past clenched teeth. Alex grinned some more until I swore it touched either of his ears.

"You liiiiike meeeee~" He sang tauntingly. I exploded and tackled him off the couch, ignoring his sore ankles and ready to beat him up, but there was the sound of giggling. I looked up to see the old lady standing in the doorway with a tray of cookies.

"Ahh, young love… I remember when I met my husband…" She sighed, waving a withered old hand by her face. I twitched and was ready to go back to beating up Alex, but he had completely vanished from under me! I blinked rapidly, then looked at the old lady, but she was going off on some babble about her meeting her husband.

"Where'd he go?" I demanded. The old lady blinked, then pointed up the stairs.

"Why, to his room, miss. He sure zipped out of here quickly…" She mused. My eye twitched and I leapt to my feet, charging up the stairs as I planned Alex's demise, but I smacked into Nox, who was holding a map.

"Ritz! Great timing! I need to show you something…" She said, turning to show me the map. I frowned, watching her place her finger on our position.

"This is where we are now. The Mountain of Despair is in San Francisco, all the way over here… We need to keep moving. We should wake up tomorrow morning and take off. Our clothes should be dry by then, so we won't have to steal any other clothes." She added, but I think she was uncomfortable her attire of a small t-shirt that read: BABYCAKES and a small jean mini skirt.

"Sounds good." I agreed with a nod, completely forgetting about my assault on Alex.

"I'm curious, though… Why would that manticore's bosses send him after us? We're just…" Her voice trailed. I frowned.

"What?" I asked. She scrunched up her nose in distaste.

"I was going to say that we're just regular half-bloods, but that's not quite true since Erato, Alex, and I are all related to Zeus…" She mumbled, folding up the map. I shrugged.

"Those guys just want followers is all… Isn't that why Kronos coaxed half-bloods when he tried world domination?" I asked. Nox nodded.

"I guess you're right, but… Still. It's weird. We need to concentrate on what our enemies scream so we can get information before we even arrive at the Mountain of Despair. We need to be careful too… None of the Iapetus sons are kind from what I hear." She explained. I nodded.

"I'll say… Atlas and Epimetheus sound like they take up most of the rude bit." I muttered in agreement. She gave a weak smile, then walked back to the room she and I shared, but she still looked uneasy and it bothered me. I wonder what she was thinking…

**A/N: Yup, lots of actions, I guess in this one… :D I hope you guys liked it and I hope the characters are still in character. o.o Ahhh, yes. I don't know about Mt. Despair being in San Francisco EXACTLY. I checked the entire 3****rd**** book, but I can't find it at all. So, if that's wrong, I'm sorry! I tried to find the exact location. T.T Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! (Flames not included)**


	7. A Magic Wallet

**YES! Finally, I was waiting forever to write this. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they belong to **_**Rick**__**Riordan**_**!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**Erato Calliope belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein**__**Storm**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs to **_**ME**_**!**

**Warnings: Randomness~**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter Seven: The Magic Wallet

The next morning we left before the old couple ever got up. We decided to just leave quickly. We were walking along the road when a red ford truck came rolling up beside us. Inside, an old man was sitting at the wheel. He grinned at us kindly.

"You guys need a ride?" He asked in a friendly voice. We had no join, really, so we hopped in.

"Where are you heading to?" He asked after we had crammed into his little truck. I shifted uncomfortably between Nox and Alex.

"Chicago, please…" Nox said after a while since Erato, Alex, and I didn't respond. If there was one thing I knew about old people, it's that they could actually be a manticore ready to eat you. I stayed silent as the man turned up some pop music. Actually, more alternative and only my most favorite band in the entire world.

"I can tell you like Gorillaz." The old man said suddenly and I looked at him, alarmed. He chuckled and pointed to my shirt. I wanted to smack myself. Alex was snickering at my side, so I elbowed him in the gut.

"It's funny, you guys are usually loud." The old man mused and that made even Alex go silent. Nox, Erato, and I were all frozen stiff, wondering if this was another manticore, but Alex seemed more curious than scared.

"How'd you know that?" He inquired. The old man chuckled and he looked at us with such a kind twinkle in his eyes, I relaxed immediately.

"I've been watching you four for a while now," The man explained, his voice slowly growing younger and younger by the second, "Your curiosity has grabbed the attention of the gods. Even Lord Zeus is a bit intrigued by your recent actions." The old man's wrinkled leathery skin began to grow smooth and soft like that of a twenty-year-old.

His old features smoothed out into the face of a young man, his blue eyes glowing brighter. Within seconds, I realized immediately who I was looking at.

"L-Lord Hermes!" Nox gasped, her cheeks flushing a little. I could tell why too. Hermes was pretty good looking.

"Why…? Why are you…?" My voice was caught. This was one of the first god's, other than Ares and Dionysus, who'd I met. He was the first nice one, at least, so far.

"Because," At that moment, I think I saw a hint of sadness pass through the god's eyes, "I'm rooting for you, despite the dangers… I know it'd be hard to stop you four. I just want to warn you to be safe. You three…" He looked at Erato, Nox, and Alex.

"You three are relations to Lord Zeus. If he were to lose all three of you… I don't think he'd be able to handle it. Be cautious on your journey and think hard before making any rash decisions. As for you," He looked at me for a while before speaking, "Sometimes the gods… They push something they love far away for fear of harming it without even realizing that they are acting cruel in the process…"

"… You're talking about if I find my father on this quest." I stated. Hermes gave a stiff nod and his blue eyes locked on the road, where he pulled onto the main highway to Chicago.

"Don't expect anything like a large celebration, Ritz… If it really was your father that ruined the entrance to Olympus, there must be a strong reason as to why he does not want you to discover him." He explained calmly. I shrugged.

"Heck… I can deal with this. I've got everything I need."

"Too much hope is one thing." Hermes put in. I looked at him with a frown. He acted like he knew whom my father was and that was making me suspicious. However, he continued on with his lecture.

"Just be careful. All of you. It's dangerous out there for half-bloods. I'm not telling you to give up on your quest… I'm telling you to expect the unexpected." He said at last. Nox, Erato, Alex, and I all shared looks. Hermes looked sad now, as if he knew what it was like to lose a child… Did he? Before I could ask, Hermes snapped out of his sorrowful stupor and snapped his fingers.

"Oh! That's right! I forgot the whole reason I was sent to you in the first place. Looks like Apollo is on your side too. He sent you a little something for when you get to Chicago." He let go of the wheel, ducking down to pick up a package from under his seat and handing it to us.

"What is it?" I demanded, forgetting I had just ordered a god. Nox elbowed me, then bowed her head to Hermes.

"Thank you, Lord Hermes. Please send our thanks to Lord Apollo as well." She said quickly. I gave up on asking and already began tearing open the package.

"Someone's impatient." Erato observed, raising his eyebrow. He looked as curious as me, though. I finally opened the package to reveal…

"A wallet?" Alex asked, looking as disappointed as the rest of us. Now, you'd wonder why. Well, I picked up the black leather wallet and flipped it open to reveal absolutely nothing inside of it. We all looked at Hermes, who was pulling up to a McDonalds as he got off the highway. He smiled at us.

"Spend it wisely! It won't last long!" He advised.

"Spend what?!" I cried, but Nox was already pushing me out the car. We piled out of Hermes's truck, looking at him in confusion. He was just kicking us out in Chicago with nothing? Well… He was the god of trickery as well as messengers, travelers, and the Internet. Gods, I forgot to thank him for that!

Before I could, Hermes was taking off down the highway. I scowled, folding my arms over my chest.

"Great. Just great. Now what?" I demanded, ready to throw the wallet, but Nox snatched it away from me, examining.

"This is too suspicious… There's more to it than this. Maybe we need to activate something inside it for money to appear." She mused. I raised an eyebrow.

"Magic money?" I asked, clearly not believing this. Alex shrugged.

"It could be possible."

"Yea, if there's such things as pegasi and nymphs, there's got to be such thing as magic money." I muttered. Erato sighed, glancing at the McDonalds. Nox nodded and ended up leading us into the McDonalds. A few people turned to stare at us. I guess it wasn't normal for four kids dressed like they were going for a hike to walk into a McDonalds in the middle of a huge city… We got in line and Nox opened the wallet.

"Oh gods." I gasped. We were staring at money jam packed with money. A little photo sat behind the plastic photo holder. It was a picture of Apollo, holding his fingers in a peace sign. It was signed too.

_Greetings from Olympus! Good luck, kids! I'm all for ya!_

"I love Apollo." I stated and it wasn't just because he gave us money. Apollo was outrageously handsome with sandy blonde hair and an adventurous look about him.

"He is really… Really good looking…" Nox agreed at last, her eyes wide and unblinking. Erato and Alex only shared looks and rolled their eyes. Erato snatched up the wallet.

"All right. Let's pay already. There's enough money in here to buy out the whole place…" He muttered. We ordered our food and sat down to eat, talking about how to spend the money. We agreed on staying in a hotel for the night and doing some research on our targets. It was gonna be really hard to hunt down two Titans in a city as big as Chicago. We were about to decide our next move when I heard a horribly familiar voice.

"Ahhh, of course! I can do that…! Yes, anything you say, sir!" A female's voice giggled into her cell phone. My head snapped up at the voice. I found myself staring at the empousai from my dream, only this time, she was more human-like. Instead of mismatched body parts, she had long slender legs. She wore a dark red business suit, her dark brown hair braided down her back; a pair of over-sized black sunglasses hid her eyes. While she was ordering, I nudged my friends.

"That's her," I whispered, "The empousai from my dream." Nox glanced quickly at the woman at the counter, then back.

"All right… This is our first test. We should tail her as far as we can. She's talking to someone on her cell phone and if we're lucky, it might be Prometheus or Epimetheus." She said quietly.

"Agreed." Erato said with a nod.

"Can't we spend the money first?" Alex tried, but the looks he got made him throw his trash out before we could. We hurriedly threw out the trash and went outside. We were met with the rush hour time, people crowding the streets and sidewalks. We didn't have to wait too long for Miss. Creepy Empousai to come out. She was walking fast, so we had to keep up, but at a distance.

We followed her up to a corner and that's when her phone conversation got very interesting.

"Hm? A dinner party? Lord E-… Sir. Yes… Oh! Sounds like fun! I say we do it. When and were?" Unfortunately, she was talking to quietly and so was the person on the phone, whom I suspected was Epimetheus due to the empousai's slip up.

"_Styx_," Nox cursed as the lady caught a cab and drove down the street, "I couldn't catch the address. Epimetheus was too-"

"Got it." Erato stated and we all whipped around to stare at him. He had written the address of the dinner party on his arm in black sharpie.

"How did you hear that?" Alex asked incredulously. Erato shrugged.

"I have good hearing." He responded.

"I'll say… She was five feet in front of us." Nox murmured in awe, her eyes transfixed on the address Erato had written down.

"Now all we need to do is find a hotel." I stated.

**xxx**

Finding a hotel wasn't that hard, even though we had a heck of a time trying to read the huge billboard advertisements. We decided to just follow a flow of rich republicans to a huge, very fancy hotel. We paid with half the money in the wall and were shown to a very fancy room with two queen-sized beds. Everything was designed with red and cream coloring. Everything about the room was expensive, especially the balcony that Alex leaned on to look at the city.

"This place is awesome! Maybe we should stay here two nights instead!" He was yelling, but it was more to the city rather than the rest of us. I was too busy getting comfortable on one of the beds. It was so warm and cozy. It didn't smell like old people either, like the last bed I had to sleep in.

"Don't hang on the balcony, Alex," Nox scolded as she popped open a bottle of water, "You'll fall out and splatter on the pavement."

"Ouch." Alex reeled away from the balcony like it was on fire. I sighed.

"So now what? We got a hotel, got the address for the dinner party. Do we just screw around until then?" I asked. Erato came into the main room from the hall, shaking his head.

"No. It's a formal party. I just overheard a couple that plan on going. It's strictly formal and for invited guests only…" He explained. I sat up, sitting cross-legged.

"Well," I began carefully, "The clothes won't be a problem… But getting in…"

"I have it covered!" Alex announced and we all looked at him with blank stares, waiting for his to continue. When he didn't, Nox demanded what his plan was. Alex laughed.

"Isn't it obvious? With this money, we could BUY our way in!" He exclaimed. I opened my mouth to argue, but I realized that it was a smart plan. Everyone loved money. If we could just pay more than the guy who checks the invite list gets, we'll be in no problem!

"It's brilliant!" I proclaimed.

"Are you nuts?" Erato asked, touching his hand to my forehead as if to make sure I wasn't sick. I waved his hand away, folding my arms over my chest.

"It makes sense. Everyone loves cash and would do anything for it. Even let four teenagers into a dinner party." I explained. Nox shrugged.

"Eh, what'd we got to lose?" She asked.

"Our lives." Erato deadpanned. Alex gave him a playful shove, laughing.

"It'll be easy, don't worry! Lighten up, pal!"

"Easy for you to say."

"So," I butted in, "Does this mean we have to shop for clothes?" I got my answer when Nox split the money up between us four and told us to buy the fanciest clothes we could. Since I'm no fashion expert, Nox offered to help me. We walked into the mall and found a nice store. What was funny was, when we walked in, it was full of rich ladies with little fluffy Chihuahuas that barked in shrill octaves.

Even funnier, the whole store seemed to surge to one side of the store when Nox and I went to the front desk. I guess rich snobs didn't like people who actually worked their butts off. You'd think we had the Black Plague or something.

"May I help you?" The lady at the front desk asked stiffly, her green eyes wide in disgust.

"Yea, we need some help finding dresses for a party, please." Nox requested kindly and softly. Nox must have said something because immediately, the woman's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Oh! Of course! I'd be happy to help! Follow me!" She chirped and practically led us in a dance to a few dresses our size. This was killing me. Nox made me go first and it was complete torture. All the dresses were tight enough to squeeze a skinny wood nymph!

I finally did find a white one with silver swirls on it. It reminded me of snow and since it was my favorite season, why not? The sleeves were loose and reminded me somewhat of a curtain around my shoulders. Nox made me get some shoes too and I had a feeling she was going to try on dresses while I was gone, so I hurriedly found a pair of white heels with laces that went up to my knee. I came by just in time to see Nox step out in a layered blue dress.

"Wow." I stated. Nox almost leapt five feet in the air and she grabbed her celestial knife, but stopped when she saw me.

"Ritz! You scared me!" She barked angrily, but looked more embarrassed than angry. I couldn't see why.

"That's a nice dress… You gonna get it?" I asked, looking at her. Her stormy blue eyes darted back and forth.

"Er, yea… I was thinking about it. Is it nice?"

"Beyond nice!" I was being honest too. It was really pretty on her. It matched her golden brown hair perfectly and it made her eyes glow. She did end up buying it after some pressing. She got some nice little satin slippers to go with it too. After a bit, we stopped and got something to eat. It was almost eight and the dinner party was going to start in an hour.

When we got back, Erato and Alex were already there. Apparently, they'd been waiting for us for four hours.

"You exaggerate!" Nox yelled when Erato and Alex told us of their long wait.

"Do not!" Alex protested. Erato shrugged.

"It only took us a few minutes. We even stopped at an arcade in the mall." He explained kindly, but Nox was clearly getting irritated, so she swept off into the kitchen to make hot chocolate. I scowled at the two guys.

"It takes girls a long time to get ready," I scolded, "Girls have to look very nice. It's just some unwritten code that they all follow accordingly."

"You act like you're not one of them." Erato blurted. I went to smack him in the head, but he ducked, so I just settled for glaring daggers at him.

"I am a girl. I just rarely go shopping. Gods, boys. You're all so frustrating." I muttered, folding my arms over my chest.

"I didn't mean it to be mean." Erato tried, but I just shook my head.

"Well, let's get dressed. It's almost time to go." Alex advised, looking at the clock. So, we all got dressed. It took me a while longer this time because I had trouble putting on the shoes. Like I said before, I just grabbed them in a hurry without checking the size, which was one too small.

Finally, I had Nox come help me. She looked really pretty with her hair all brushed and a nice little hairclip, of a lightening bolt, held one side of her bangs back. After she helped me with the shoes, she offered to do my hair. So, I thought, what the heck? Why not? I can't do hair anyway.

She did it pretty good, actually. Even with my mess of black curls, she managed to pull some hair from my face back and pin it with a black hair clip. It looked nice, actually. When we came out of the bathroom, Erato and Alex were already dressed. Let me tell you something that I've only seen a handful of guys in tuxedos, but Erato and Alex? They pulled it off real nice. The tuxedos were solid black with the fancy white undershirt (Don't know what you call that thing) and a flower pinned to the side. Alex wore a yellow rose and Erato wore a white one.

"Wow, you guys look classy." I complimented, but it wasn't smart of me to come so close to Alex because he immediately took my hand and kissed the top of it.

"You look fantastic, my dear." He drawled in a totally fake French accent. It almost made me laugh, but I wasn't about to encourage him, so I just gave him a shove on the chest.

"You're pushin' it, Hixon." I warned, which only made him grin the ever so famous sly grin. Erato smirked, then checked the time, his eyes widening.

"Oh hey! We better hurry up or we'll be late!" He exclaimed. That was our cue and we were off! When we got down to the lobby, a guy was waiting to give us a ride. Funny, he probably expected us to be dressed the same because the look on his face was priceless.

"Hey, you! We need a ride to this place!" I barked, ignoring Nox's eye roll and Alex's snicker. The guy turned to glare, but stopped, his eyes widening when I handed him the address and a wad of fifties.

"O-Of course, miss…!"

"Knightly!"

"Right! Yes, Miss. Knightly!" The man stuttered and hurriedly called for a limo. I wasn't expecting a limo for gods' sakes, but I wasn't complaining. Nor was anyone else, so woo! Awesome ride in a limo to a fancy dinner party we weren't even invited to!

You know how in movies that people like to stand up and look through the window in the top of the limo? Yea, well… Alex is the one who did that for us. I wasn't surprised either. It was so like him to jump up and throw the window open so fast; he could have broken the window.

We were all too excited to care anyway. So we just laughed at Alex's enthusiasm. There were tons of drinks and food in the limo, but Nox warned us that the fare might be too much, so we didn't touch any of it. Besides, there was bound to be food at the dinner party. Hence the name DINNER party, right?

When we got there, we had to wait in line while people showed their membership cards. I was getting antsy because the guard at the door was almost as big as Ares, who freaked me out just by measurements alone!

"Membership cards?" The guy asked with a bored expression, his eyes hidden behind some large black glasses, even though it was dark out. Nox, Erato, and I shared nervous looks, but Alex seemed confident. He tore out the wallet and to my complete astonishment, there seemed to be more in it than ever before!

"Here. We're on the list. Alexander Hixon, Erato Calliope, Nox Taminama, and Ritz Knightly." Alex stated, holding out several hundred-dollar bills. The guard stared at the money for a long time. I thought he was going to smack Alex for even suggesting it, until he wrote something down on his clipboard and snatched the money out of Alex's hand.

"Of course. Have a nice evening." Five seconds later, we were IN.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: Yes, this is late because I was not allowed on the computer yesterday because my dad is a complete jackass! –laughs, then punches the wall- Ow… Anyway, yes. Sorry it's late and I do hope the characters are in character. Sorry if this seemed rushed, but I'm so excited for the next chapter! You guys are about to have a very interesting question answered… -waves hands dramatically- Anyway, thanks for reading, folks, and please review! (Flames not included)**


	8. It's Him

**YES. Your question: Who's Ritz's dad, dude? Is finally answered… Dude.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they belong to **_**Rick Riordan**_**!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**Erato Calliope belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein Storm**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs **_**ME**_**!**

**Warning: Randomness! And some sappy parts…**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter Eight: It's Him…

The place where the dinner party was being held was so huge! It had Greek features such as a nice row of Corinthian posts holding up the flatter parts while a huge dome sat at the center of the ceiling, letting light in through its glass. Everything was adorned with gold, silver, and white. Everyone wore really expensive and fancy dresses in all different colors! It was like something straight out of a movie or book!

The four of us (Alex, Erato, Nox, and I) split up to search for our targets. I had given them pretty good descriptions of Prometheus and Epimetheus, so it looked like things were going to go smoothly.

Or so I thought.

I tried to act as rich and snobby as I could. Whenever I was stopped, I just babbled about how much money I had. It seemed to work and I was actually making friends with the adults! I had walked over the snack tables, picking up tons of awesome food. I didn't even know what half of it was, but heck! It was delicious!

I was busy pigging out on all the exotic foods that I didn't realize someone was watching me until I heard a chuckle. I almost dropped the platter I was eating off of. I wiped my mouth and whirled around. My breath caught in my throat like all my food was about to come up.

I was facing a man in a very fancy tuxedo with a red rose pinned onto it. His round, wire rimmed glasses reflected a lot of the light in the room. His eyes pierced me in a false sense of kindness and it almost made me choke. He had scratches all over his face, like a squirrel or something attacked him.

"Enjoying our food, are you?" Prometheus asked gently, like a father or a teacher. I gulped down the food, wiping my mouth some more nervously as my other hand groped for the table. I said something real smart, like "Uhhh huh…" He chuckled.

"I'm Prometheus. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand. I hesitantly shook it, finding it really warm and a bit rough.

"Ritz… Uh, Ritz Knightly." I answered and gave him a nervous smile. He looked thoughtful there for a moment, tilting his head as he lowered his hand.

"That's a lovely name… How old are you, Ritz?"

"Er, thirteen. Last I checked." I added with a crooked smile. Prometheus smiled warmly.

"Thirteen, hm? That's still young… What're you doing here all alone?" He asked. I was about to reply, then stopped. I was about to tell him everything! What was wrong with me?! I gulped again, then sighed, shrugging.

"I've never been to one of these things before… So I just figured, you know, what the heck? I have nothing better to do." I responded. Prometheus laughed good-naturedly and I felt safer. Thank the gods, he didn't seem suspicious. Yet. He was supposed to be really smart, a crafty Titan.

"I see. Well, I am glad you came. I hope to see you again, Miss. Knightly.

"Er, you too, sir." I mumbled. Prometheus gave a nod, then departed. I swung back around the table, covering my mouth. Just the sight of the food was going to make me vomit now. I was so nervous!

Why was I nervous?! I would probably have to beat this guy up sooner or later! I had to get up my courage and fast before-

"Hey, Ritz, I-"

"Oh gods!" I cried out and turned to see Alex, looking at me in surprise. His grin had wiped off his face into worry.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"More like a Titan." I muttered bitterly. Alex blinked.

"You found Prometheus too?" He asked. I nodded, then jabbed my thumb at the table behind me.

"I was eating like a pig and he came up to me. It was kind of embarrassing." I admitted. Alex smirked, then held out his hand.

"You know, since we're here. How about a dance?" He asked. I stared at him, then frowned.

"There might very well be a huge war about to happen at any time and all you can think about is asking me to dance?" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips. Alex gave me a purely innocent look. However, it was too innocent and was full of mischief.

"Yes." He said shamelessly. I sighed, then smacked my hand down on his.

"Fine, but just one. I'm still hungry and I suck at dancing." I responded shortly. Alex grinned so wide, I think his lips would've fallen off if he grinned any wider. He led me out onto the dance floor, just in sight of Prometheus, who was chatting with some of the other guests.

Gods, this was sort of embarrassing. I didn't know how to dance, so I just did what I saw people at my school do. I put my arms around his neck, his hands resting on my hips. The music was some kind of classical piece, maybe something by Beethoven.

"How do you feel?" Alex asked me suddenly. I broke my gaze from Prometheus to stare at him blankly.

"Hungry." I told him so flatly, he laughed.

"Anything else?" He tried again and I felt his hands come together on the small of my back. Jolts of something weird went up my spine, making me jump a little. I looked at him suspiciously. Either that was an electricity trick or something… Unnatural.

"Get a life." I muttered. Alex shrugged.

"I do have one. And that's hanging around with you, Erato, and Nox."

"Hm?"

"It's one of the best adventures of my life. We've been attacked by an old guy; we met Hermes in an old pick up truck, got rich from Apollo, and found the bad guys. All we need is a happy ending." He finished with a sly grin. I raised an eyebrow slowly, then smirked as the song came to a close.

"Yes. I think we do, but not now, buddy. Maybe later." Just so as to not disappoint him, I stood on my tiptoes, smacked a peck on his cheek, then jumped back from him. I went straight back to the food tables, leaving Alex to get swallowed by the crowd of guests. I felt my face burning from making such a bold and probably dumb move. Alex was a flirt and there was no way he'd stick with me for long even if we did happen to- Gah, what the heck am I thinking?! I have to be thinking about war! Violence! Death- ACK! I sound like Ares!

To calm my nerves, I stuffed several cheddar crackers into my mouth, dropping several onto the floor. I looked around quickly to make sure no one saw that, then got on my knees to pick them up off the floor. Yea, I know what you're thinking. GROSS! She ate crackers off the floor?!

But, hey! Don't judge me! The floors were cleaner than Mr. Clean's house could ever be!

I had crawled partially under the table, picking up the crackers when I heard some familiar voices coming near the table. I yelped and ducked under all the way, clamping my hands over my mouth as I listened.

"… Looks just like her, brother… I know it's her." Prometheus's voice was saying softly.

"That's impossible," Epimetheus's voice retorted harshly, "Cherry wasn't pregnant when I left her. We double checked."

"Epimetheus, you left Cherry only a few days after you two got together… The signs of pregnancy can show up whenever…" Prometheus argued, but Epimetheus snorted to show his disagreement.

"No. If Cherry had been pregnant, she'd have told me… I know Cherry still has feelings for me." Epimetheus's tone had taken on a dark edge, like he was disappointed in that fact. A cold chill ran up my spine, keeping me rooted to my place under the table, hidden behind the white tablecloth.

"Sometimes I wonder why she would have ever loved you, Epimetheus," Prometheus sounded pretty mad now too and it was kind of scary, "You can be somewhat cruel… But anyway, what're you going to do about this? If the Olympians find out that you have a daughter, they're going to seek her out and use her against you."

"They don't know. She doesn't know. I don't believe you." Epimetheus sounded almost childish as his footsteps moved away quickly. I sat stone still and I really didn't want to move. Epimetheus… He had married a woman named Cherry.

Cherry… Cherry was my mother's name.

Prometheus was warning Epimetheus about him having a daughter… A daughter he had with a woman named Cherry. It was all too convenient… And so scary, I couldn't move. My heart was bashing into my ribs like a drum, my body suddenly feeling cold and clammy. That couldn't be true.

No, it had to be just a convenient mistake. I couldn't… I couldn't possibly be the daughter of Epimetheus!!

**xxx**

I had finally crawled out from under the table when I was able to move my body again. I felt stiff and sore from sitting hunched over so long. I felt a little nauseous too, so I managed to find the bathroom safely without falling over or smashing into anyone. I ran to the toilet and up-chucked everything I had eaten that night.

Too bad. It was all exotic foods that I'd probably never get the chance to eat again.

I came out a few minutes later after washing my mouth. I stood awkwardly by a post, shifting from foot to foot. My mind still couldn't wrap around the possibility. I had to confirm it… But how? Epimetheus had probably already left the party… I couldn't just go looking for him, could I? He probably had bodyguards, especially that disgusting empousai chick. I was about to give up when I heard a deadly voice behind me.

"Well, well, well," A hissing, squeaky voice snickered, "If it isn't the little intruder!" I whirled around and was jerked by the front of my dress into a hallway. I fell on my hands and knees, then spun around to find a very hideous empousai.

"Ritz Knightly," The empousai cackled in a high-pitched, raspy voice, "It's nice to finally make your acquaintance! I saw you watching my lords conversing back on the Mountain of Despair! You will pay for your nosiness!"

"Oh, bite me, you over grown donkey!" I spat. The empousai shrieked.

"How dare you!! How dare you!! I am Casey McDowell! I am-"

"The most disgusting empousai I've ever seen!" I put in with a fake look of surprise. Casey screamed and charged at me. Wow, I thought fighting in my normal attire was easy, but this was definitely NOT any easier! Especially without my sword!

I ducked to the side, wanting to kick Casey in the gut, but my dress would've torn slits up the sides… Oh, who cares?! I swung my foot up into Casey's gut.

_SSSHHHHRRRRIIIIP! KA-THWACK!_

My dress tore along the side as my foot came in contact with Casey's stomach. She howled, then stumbled backwards. She swung her nasty nails at me, but I ducked just in time. However, she then connected her bronze leg with my stomach.

Now THAT hurt. I flew back, off my feet by the way, and slammed into a wall. Spots danced along my vision as pain exploded into my back and head, spreading throughout my body. Casey shrieked with laughter and lumbered toward me.

She was about ready to kick me, but I just barely managed to catch her donkey hoof before it could hit me in the head. I shoved it back, then stumbled to my feet. I felt a little dizzy, the room spinning like a carnival ride, but I managed to catch my balance at block the next attack that was thrown at me.

I dodged her a few times, trying to regain my right mind so I could think things through, but I was slowly failing. Casey had stopped to pant for breath, screaming insults in Ancient Greek at me. I took this moment to reach up to touch the back of my head. I felt something warm and sticky. When I saw my blood on my fingers, dripping like paint in thick droplets, I think I had enough.

I crumpled to a heap on the floor just in time to hear someone yelling…

"Casey!! What have you done?!?!"

**xxx**

The first time I floated back to reality, I felt someone carrying me and I was almost afraid it was Alex. That would've been totally awkward, but then I realized this person was much bigger. Built to play basketball or some kind of special sport for big guys with lean muscles. Either way, I opened my eyes to find myself staring up at the front of our hotel and the night sky that was lit up with tons of stars like the Milky Way. I was feeling really sick and my head was aching horribly.

"Guh…" I managed to groan and I heard a few mumbles, one of them I recognized as Nox's voice.

"She's waking up?" She sounded worried.

"Yes," A deep, somewhat familiar voice answered, "Sort of… Hey, er, Ritz… You waking up?" It was definitely an older man's voice. I almost thought it was Prometheus, but the voice sounded a little more…

"Epimetheus?" I asked faintly.

"Go back to sleep." Was all I got as a response, so I figured, why not? My heavy eyelids fell shut again and I just died all over again.

**xxx**

The second time I woke up, I was lying in the hotel bed with the sun glaring at me from its high perch in the sky. It was peeking in past the red silk curtains that hid the balcony before. I blinked a few times for my eyes to adjust to the light. I sat up sleepily.

At first, I had almost forgotten why I was there. Until my hand swept over the back of my head where I felt a small scar on the spot where my neck and head connected in my hair.

The memories came back like a flood and it made me gasp. My head started to hurt again and the first thing I could think of to shout was:

"I'M HUNGRYYYYY!!!" I wailed. Almost immediately, Nox, Erato, and Alex came rushing out of the kitchen.

"You're okay!" Nox cried.

"You're alive!" Erato agreed in surprise.

"You're hungry!" Alex added on just because he was random like that. I blinked owlishly at them, then sat up slowly, sliding off the bed. I also noticed I was redressed. I was wearing a pair of blue silk pajama pants and a matching button up shirt. I jerked my head up, glaring at them.

"Who dressed me?" I demanded. Nox shifted uncomfortably.

"Er… Uhm… The guy who carried you here." She said, like she was stalling. I frowned, then remembered who she meant. Hey, at least it wasn't Alex. More embarrassment!

"Wait," I murmured, "You mean… Epimetheus?"

"… Yes," Erato answered for Nox, "He wouldn't tell us what happened. He just said he found you unconscious in one of the grand halls… You had a really bad cut on your head, but Epimetheus healed it the best he could… Ritz… He was acting really odd."

"Yea… He acted like he knew you." Nox agreed. Alex said nothing, but the look on his face told me he knew what was going on. I tensed up for a moment.

That proves it… Epimetheus is my father. The guy who walked out on my mother. The guy who's apparently planning some big rebellion against the Olympians, some of which are my friends or the parents of my friends. I felt like crying all of a sudden, but I couldn't do that in front of my friends…

"Heck if I know," I responded at last in a dull tone, "All I know is that he's planning some kind of hideous act against Olympus. We need to stop him and his brothers."

Erato, Alex, and Nox stared at me for a while, then nodded in agreement. The subject of my accident was dropped, even though I was quickly reminded of it when I took a shower and felt the scar on my head.

I took that chance to cry for a bit. I don't know why I was crying. I guess because I was ashamed to have an evil, backstabbing father. And, double bonus for me! He's also a Titan, great enemy to the Olympians!

Great, just my luck. As if my life couldn't get any worse.

After my shower, I stuffed my face with fancy pizza at the table on the balcony as I watched a movie on a tiny TV screen that was conveniently placed on the edge of the table.

"Can I join you?" Alex asked from behind me. I shrugged.

"I dunno. Can you?" I asked, peeking at him over my shoulder. He sighed, then came over to sit by me.

"Ritz… I know you don't want to talk about it, but-"

"I like you." I deadpanned. Alex raised an eyebrow at me. I was still watching the TV with a bored expression, biting into a slice of extra saucy pizza.

"What?" He asked.

"You heard me." I replied, finally glancing at him out the corner of my eye. Alex looked suspicious now. I frowned at him.

"What? Don't wanna flirt with me now just because I said I liked you?" I asked. Alex blinked, then waved his hands as if to surrender.

"No, no, no! It's not like that, it's just… Why would you use that to divert the subject?" He asked. I tried the innocent look, but Alex practically invented the look and wasn't falling for it.

"I didn't use it to divert the subject," I answered at last after his intense staring, "I just figured since we were spilling our guts out, I might as well start. Now you tell me a secret." He looked a little unconvinced, but shrugged and played along.

"All right… What'd you wanna know?" He asked. I pursed my lips, then looked at him.

"Your mother… What was her name?" I asked. Alex's eyes flickered for a second, losing their bright humorous shine.

"… Emily. Emily Hixon." He replied at last. I nodded, then went back to biting into a piece of pizza, watching the TV as guy jumped out of a helicopter.

"… What happened back at the dinner party in the hallway where Epimetheus found you?" Alex asked. I stopped eating and looked at him, frowning.

"… The empousai from before," I said, not bothering to lie, "Her name was Casey. She attacked me and I didn't have my sword, or my right mind. She smashed me into a wall, which is why I was unconscious. I don't remember anything else."

"Okay…" Alex looked thoughtful, frowning at the TV, but not actually seeing it.

"How did you get to camp?" I asked. Alex was still frowning and it made me uneasy. It was rare to see him not looking so happy.

"… My mom was giving me a lift after I was attacked by an empousai. She got on a car accident and died… I had to make the rest of the way to camp myself." He informed. I nodded again, taking another bite of my pizza.

"… Is Epimetheus your dad?" Alex asked. I stopped to look at my pizza. So, he knew. I should have figured. Alex may act like a goofball and a total lady's man, but he was really smart. My throat was getting clogged up and my eyes felt hot. I shrugged for a second, then reached back to scratch my neck awkwardly, but my hand fell over the scar, so I dropped it like a dead limb on the table.

"… Ritz." Alex said, probably making sure I was still sane. I didn't feel all that sane, knowing my father was an evil Titan. It made me uneasy. I took a shaky breath, then clenched my water bottle in my fist.

"Yes." I said shortly, my voice cracking. Alex looked uncomfortable and worried at the same time. It made me worried too. I wasn't scaring him, was I? I looked him square in the eye now, frowning.

"Yes. Epimetheus is my father." I said carefully. Alex studied me for a minute, then nodded slowly as if he already knew, which he totally did. No doubts were in my mind that Alex knew as soon as I had mentioned Epimetheus in my dream.

"I see…"

"Yup…"

"… Ritz… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to press… I just had to make sure that-"

"Nah," I interrupted, nodding more to comfort myself, "It's fine… I had a feeling something bad would happen when I found out… It's like I told Hermes. I've got everything I need."

"… And he said you had too much hope… Judging by the look on your face, I'd say you were hoping that your dad would welcome you with open arms." Alex murmured quietly, drumming his fingers on the table to avoid the awkwardness of the situation.

"No… I was sort of hoping that he was in Tartarus or just… I dunno. Somewhere were I couldn't reach him." I managed and cleared my throat to swallow the lump in my throat. This was making me uncomfortable. I didn't want to sit here. I had to do something.

"So what?" I asked suddenly. Alex looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" He questioned. I frowned and stood up, shutting off the TV, then looking at Alex.

"Who gives a flying horse if my dad's a Titan? Much less one who's going to take over the world? That's not the reason we came. The real reason we came was to find out who was going to topple Olympus. We're not here to say, 'Oh, what'd ya know? My dad's a Titan. Let's go back to Camp Half-Whatever-"

"Half-Blood." Alex corrected with a quiet laugh.

"-Exactly," I agreed, trying not to laugh at my stupid mistake, "We're here to find out how to stop the Titans from attacking Olympus! We're going to go to the Mountain of Despair and we're going to kick some Titan butt!"

"That sounds like the best idea I've heard all week!" Alex agreed, jumping up from his seat. The rest of the pizza and the plates fell on the floor since he bumped into the table.

"… Smooth move, genius." I muttered, watching the expensive China shatter. Alex shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. We still have this!" He held up Apollo's wallet, which was over flowing with cash. I grinned. Oh, yea. That was going to help our way most definitely!

"Awesome. Now let's find Nox and Erato so we can ditch this place!" I announced and turned to go.

"So… You like me?" Alex asked, a bigger grin on his face. I stopped still in my tracks and just realized that I had been such an idiot. My face grew hot with a mixture of embarrassment and pure anger. I whirled around, grabbing a fork off the table and pointing it at him.

"If you tell anyone I said anything, I'll eat your stomach with this fork!" I threatened barbarically. Alex blinked rapidly, but was still grinning.

"You sound like Ares."

"OH GODS! Don't even say that!" I cried in horror, dropping the spoon and rushing to wash my mouth out with soap. Alex was laughing all the while.

What a goof.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: Yes, the ending was a bit sappy. I'm sorry, but… Yea, I don't know why, but the Sappy-Ending muse attacked me and made me write it against my will. O-o I blame it all on her! Anyway… I hope you guys liked this chapter! And yes, Epimetheus is the father of Ritz Knightly. For those of you who do not know him all that well, he is the brother to Prometheus, Atlas, and Menoetius. Their father was Iapetus, who appeared in the little short story Mr. Riordan wrote in the demigods files book. xD He is the exact opposite of Prometheus who is depicted as clever and intelligent. Epimetheus is somewhat foolish. C: Look him up on Wikipedia. lol. So, thanks for reading, hope the characters are right, and please review! (NO FLAMES, PLEASE)**


	9. Flight to Despair

**Sorry this chapter is late! My horrible excuses are at the end. xD**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they belong to **_**Rick Riordan**_**!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**Erato Calliope belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein Storm**_**!**

**Adrienne Larson belongs to **_**broken-once-again**_**!**

**Lolita Romero belongs to **_**my sister**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs to **_**ME**_**, yo!**

**Warnings: … Long lists of disclaimers and randomness. o-o;**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter Nine: Fight to Despair

We were packing up to leave, ready to take a plane out of Illinois when our room's phone rang. We all shared looks that asked the same thing.

How long had that phone been there?

I hesitantly picked it up, expecting it to be the guy downstairs to tell us our limo arrived to take us to the airport.

"Hello?" The voice made me freeze up completely. I sucked in a sharp breath and exchanged looks with my friends. Nox was mouthing for me to hang up. I nodded and moved to do so, but the voice stopped me.

"Don't hang up on me, Ritz," Epimetheus ordered firmly, "Or you're in a lot of trouble."

To that, I responded like any normal teenager who isn't a half-blood or the child of an evil Titan.

"What're you gonna do? Make me go to my room? Sorry, but my room's just a few states too far." I demanded, ignoring Nox's frantic motions for me to simply hang up.

"Such a smart mouth," Epimetheus mused bitterly, "I can tell where you got that from."

"Don't. Why'd you call me anyway? We're not supposed to be conserving like old pals."

"What about as father and daughter?"

"You've got some nerve! I outta-" Erato had already taken the phone from me, holding out of my reach.

"Ritz! You can't go around threatening Titans! Much less your dad!" Erato yelled at me. I could just imagine Epimetheus holding the phone away from his ear because we started shouting at each other.

"He's my dad! Let me yell at him!"

"He's ALSO the bad guy, you idiot! Do you WANT to get us killed?!"

"It's not so bad!"

"Ritz!"

"Give me the phone!" It ended with Nox knocking out heads together… Yea, no. I mean, seriously. She grabbed both our heads and bonked them together like a pair of tetherballs. My brains totally squirt out my ear as pain roared like a volcano in my skull. I groaned, holding the sides of my head. Erato mimicked, whining about why he was the blame. Nox calmly hung up the phone, taking a big deep breath. Alex was beside me, cracking up at the so-called 'comedy show'. I jammed my elbow into his ribs, making him stop laughing so he could groan too.

"Okay," Nox announced, grabbing our attentions, "Obviously we need to lay down some ground rules here. First off, we're not enemies, so we're not going to start tearing at each other's throats. We're supposed to work together. Second, that was a bad idea, Ritz. He could have easily traced that call to us and find us. Now we need to scram faster than before. And third, Alex, laughing at them is NOT gonna help, so put a sock in it before _I_ do. Comprende?"

All she got were nods. She seemed satisfied with that and went on to pack her things. We followed in suit. Our ride to the airport was silent, even Alex had snapped his mouth shut. It was getting kinda weird. And it only got worse when we got on the plane. My stomach was doing flips all over the place. The plane literally lifted our spirits because Alex started snickering and commenting on my fear of heights.

"It's not funny! What if this thing crashes?" I complained, peering out the window, then jerking back to find tons of dots instead of a city. Alex grinned.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Zeus'll protect us." He assured, but I wasn't convinced. If Zeus was so powerful, he was bound to find out who I was. If that happened… Well, he might not feel so bad about letting the enemy's daughter fall a couple billion feet to the ground below.

I just sighed and leaned back in my seat, but my worries weren't lifted yet. Behind me, some guy was muttering to himself. I caught a few familiar phrases and I knew Alex could too.

"Stupid kids… Don't do anything the way I want it… I'll get 'em back…" The voice was only all too familiar to me. It was my uncle, Atlas. Ugh, it was gonna be hard calling him uncle. Let's just call him Atlas for now…

"Ritz…" Alex whispered, nudging my shoulder and cocking his head to the side. I nodded and mouthed that I knew. We sat there silently for a second, seeing as Erato and Nox were sitting too far in front of us to hear us warn them. I squirmed a little, biting into my lip. He was getting up.

I sat on my hands to avoid from moving too much and leaned against the seat, trying not to make any expressions that would give myself away. Alex seemed to be doing the same thing, but looking better at it.

Atlas got up and I almost spazzed out there for a second. He was huge! Way bigger than his brothers, at least. Then again, you probably have to look like a wrestler on steroids to hold up the sky, right? He had the same dark hair, but it was slicked back instead of in a ponytail. His skin was a crisp brown sort of color and the look of an angry tiger, which didn't exactly fit his fancy business suit.

He walked past me and as soon as he did, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in. I watched him disappear behind the curtains up ahead, then looked at Alex with wide eyes.

"He's… Huge…" I managed. Alex laughed, but it sounded a little nervous.

"That was him? I thought the engine on the plane just blasted through here." I was too freaked out to even laugh, especially when Atlas came by again. This time, I wasn't prepared when he stopped by me and held out his hand.

"You have any extra napkins?" He asked. I jumped, shying away from him.

"Er, uhm, I… I don't think…Yea, sure." I snatched some napkins off my tray and handed it to him quickly. This was the first time I looked up at him and met his eyes. I could have sworn I was staring at a huge rock. His eyes were as solid and cold as his posture. However, he seemed to be studying me, like he knew me. Oh, gods. Please, say he didn't recognize me!

He couldn't after all, right? I mean, my own dad didn't even know he had a daughter! If he didn't know, his brother definitely couldn't know unless he was as smart as Prometheus, which I highly doubt…. Usually big guys like these are sort of-

"I'm not dumb." Atlas's response to my inside assumption made me yelp.

"I didn't say…"

"No, it was just the look you were giving me… Anyway, thanks." Atlas went back to sit down and I almost fainted if Alex hadn't of spewed the water he had drank out on my face.

If seeing my villainous Titan uncle -gods, I'd have to get used to that! – was horrible enough, getting off the plane was a heck of a hassle too. Especially when we found out that Camp Half-Something was right on our tails the entire time…

**xxx**

We piled off the plane, having our bags on our backs; of course mine was over my shoulder. We were heading out of the terminal when Alex came up behind me.

"Ritz, I just noticed something…" He whispered in my ear. I looked at him.

"What?" I asked, wiping his saliva off my ear.

"What's Atlas doing here if he's supposed to be holding up the sky?" Alex questioned. I stared at him, then blinked thoughtfully.

"Uhm… I dunno. I never thought about that…" I mumbled. Alex looked troubled for a second, but it disappeared behind a big grin.

"You know, when Atlas asked you for those napkins, you were so scared you grabbed my hand."

"I so did not!"

"Oh, you so did to." Alex argued with a sly grin and I was ready to smack it off his face if it wasn't for someone intruding on our conversation.

"Well, well, well… We've finally caught up with the three runaway children of Zeus and the undetermined…" A voice mused. I jumped and whirled around with Alex, Nox, and Erato imitating. Two girls were standing in front of us, looking pretty unhappy.

The first girl I recognized as Adrienne Larson, the tough-as-nails tomboy girl from the Apollo cabin. She had dark brown, wavy hair a bit past her shoulders with her bangs brushed off to the sides and expressive blue eyes. She wore plain jeans, converse, and an Aerosmith band shirt. She also had a very intimidating bow strapped to her back accompanied by a canister of arrows-

The second girl was Lolita Romero from the Aphrodite cabin. Her long platinum blonde hair was in thick curls down her back, her army green eyes as pretty as her classy fashion style. You could tell she was from the Aphrodite cabin. She carried a merlino made dagger with a silver handle that was stuck in a black leather holster on her hip.

"Oh snap." I stated. Adrienne raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips as if I had just asked her if she knew how to eat lemons. Lolita only smirked.

"Yea, 'oh snap'," She mocked sassily, a natural attribute that Aphrodite girls seemed to have, "You guys are in big trouble."

"I'll say… Chiron isn't happy you guys took off. He even went as far as to tell Dionysus." Adrienne agreed with a frown now, her arms folded. Lolita shrugged.

"Then again, Dionysus probably only sent someone after you instead." She pointed out.

"He's lazy." I deadpanned. I heard the sky above give a grumble. I only rolled my eyes.

"Look," Nox cut in, "We're sort of in a hurry, so if you guys could just go back and tell Chiron-"

"Oh no," Adrienne interrupted, stomping her foot in irritation, "We did NOT just come all the way across the country to have you guys send us back. Who do you think we are? Hermes?"

"That'd be cool, though." Lolita added, which earned her an annoyed glare from Adrienne.

"Aren't you ladies looking particularly nice today?" Alex drawled with a lopsided grin. See what I mean? That's a pretty good reason to stay away from Alex when it comes to crushing.

"Thanks, Alex~" Lolita drawled, batting her eyes lashes flirtatiously. Alex just grinned at her and opened his mouth to comment, but Erato cut in. I was a little surprised because he's as big a flirt as Alex some of the time.

"Looks, girls. We're on important business. We don't want to start a fight here in the airport." He explained calmly. Adrienne eyed him for a minute, then rolled her eyes.

"Who do you think we are? Chiron sent us for a good reason, Erato. He sent us because we're fast and get the job done. Right, Lolita?" She demanded, tensing up. Lolita nodded confidently, switching to her fighting mode as she patted her dagger. I was getting antsy and not because I was afraid to fight, but because Atlas was within my range to see. I was so tempted to see if he'd come to my aid and keep the girls busy, but there was no point. Atlas was really nasty and I could tell from just looking at him.

"All right then," I decided, "If you're not gonna let us go, then you have to follow us because we're tailing a Titan right now." Adrienne's eyes flashed with a look that seemed pretty familiar to me.

Curiosity.

"A Titan?" She asked, amused by the thought. Lolita's green eyes twinkled, her hand dropping away from her dagger.

"A Titan, huh…? It's pretty funny to think you guys could ever catch on-"

"It's easy," I insisted, "Because… My dad is Epimetheus, brother to Atlas, Prometheus, and Menoetius. He is a Titan." Lolita and Adrienne got a look of pure alarm on their faces. Nox looked angry that I had just blurted that out. It'd be a miracle if Zeus didn't hear me. Alex and Erato looked uneasy now.

"You…? You're a daughter of Epimetheus?" Lolita asked, obviously not wanting to believe it. I frowned, placing my hands on my hips.

"Yea. I'd like to think I'm the only one for right now. So scram or follow because Atlas is making a move." I commanded and pointed to where Atlas was disappearing out of the airport toward a line of taxis. Adrienne and Lolita shared quick looks, then looked back at me.

"This is gonna get us in craploads of trouble. I hope you're ready for it." Adrienne told us, then nudged her head for us to follow her. I sighed with relief. Thank the gods she seemed to be on our side for now.

I just left out the tiny details that I wasn't going back to camp after this whole charade was over…

**xxx**

Using Apollo's magic wallet, we got a limo to carry us after the cab Atlas had hopped into. By now, we were smoothly sailing down a highway with a huge mountain coming into view. Well, it was big to me. Remember, I'm still pretty short…

"So, that's the Mountain of Despair?" I asked. Adrienne followed my gaze, then nodded.

"Yes… According to Percy, the mountain is where Atlas used to hold the sky up… Now, I'm finding this whole situation uneasy. If Atlas isn't there with the sky, who is?" She asked. I frowned, drumming my fingers on the black leather seat thoughtfully. She and Alex were both thinking this.

"How did it happen last time?" I asked. Adrienne frowned some more, like the thought disgusted her.

"Atlas tricked Lady Artemis to catch the sky from Annabeth, who was greatly struggling to hold it up."

"Annabeth held up the sky?" I asked, perplexed. Adrienne smirked, fingering one of her arrows gently. I guess she was thinking the same thing. Little Annabeth compared to big Atlas, holding up the sky.

"Of course… Percy took it from Artemis, but still… Even Artemis had a big problem. If I had to give you the best piece of advice, kid, I'd warn you not to fall for any of Atlas's tricks. He'll do anything for someone else to hold up his burden. That's how selfish he is." She explained. I frowned, glancing at the mountain. Wow. I come from a line of crazed, narcissistic, fools. What next? I find out I'm related to the chicken?

The limo dropped us off at the base of the mountain, where Atlas had already gone. We found ourselves surrounded by a thick layer of fog.

"The Mist here is supposed to be really dangerous because it's so thick…" Lolita murmured, unsheathing her dagger as if to prove her point. Gods, that was a bad pun right there.

"The Garden if the Hesperides is up ahead… That's when things get a bit more dangerous." Adrienne muttered, readying her bow and arrow. I heard that name mentioned before, but it was hard to remember, so I just nodded, reaching for my sword and gripping it tightly.

"Ritz," Alex said suddenly from beside me, "I want to tell you something before we, you know, go up there and, er, fight your dad and uncles."

"Luck's not gonna help." I muttered dryly as we moved in a large huddle through the Mist. Alex shook his head, gripping his sword (Nimbus) in his fist.

"Ritz, it's just… This seems all too… Unorganized. If Prometheus is really helping Epimetheus plan things out, nothing would be so… Sketchy."

"I don't get it."

"Okay. Well, someone blew up the elevators to keep you from going to Olympus, right?"

"Right."

"And someone sent a manticore after us, right?"

"… Right…"

"Then you find out that Epimetheus is your dad, but apparently, he didn't even know you existed… Right?"

"Alex, get to the point before I jam my sword up your-"

"What I'm trying to say is… I think there's someone else we should be worrying about. Someone who obviously wants to weaken the Titans. Maybe we're not even supposed to be doing this." Alex explained and grew more rapid when he noticed my tension and annoyance.

"Ritz, be careful. Some things are just meant to stay, you know, on the down low?" He suggested, but I only scowled at him.

"Yea, like your voice. So zip it." I hissed at him, getting annoyed. Alex only sighed, but didn't continue his badgering. However, what he was saying made sense and it was starting to bite at me. I was getting nervous just thinking about it…

Could the Olympians be my real enemies?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: I'm sick. Yea, isn't that a nice way to start off the New Year? I've got a seriously bad cold, my throat hurts and my head feels like a big balloon, only not purple or blue. More like pink… And sore. T.T Anyway, updates may be slow until I get better. I honestly don't like to stop writing when I'm sick. (I push myself) But, my parents don't want me online, so… Sorry about that! And I seriously hope the characters are in character! I had to put my little sister in this story too because it irked me that I never even once asked her to join one of my fanfictions… -feels horrible- So, yes. Thank you for reading and please review! (NO FLAMES, PLEASE)**


	10. Let's Ride the Sun!

**OKAY. READ THIS BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT! Very much so! Okay, well, I couldn't come up with a single way of how the gang defeated the dragon that guards the tree up there in the garden, so I thought, since I didn't want to ruin the story with a lame story, I'd just give you a quick summary of that.**

**People got hurt.**

**All righty then! That's your quick summary. :D Sorry about that. I'm just so pathetic sometimes… T.T Please enjoy the rest of the story, which is way more interesting than the summary. Trust me. I apologize again for a really crappy summary there… But, I'll just say that Atlas showed up and whisked them away to a little cell! DUN DUN DUUUUUUN! -crickets- … Nevermind. Please read on.**

**DISCLAIMERS: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they belong to **_**Rick Riordan**_**!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**  
Erato Calliope belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein Storm**_**!**

**Adrienne Larson belongs to **_**broken-once-again**_**!**

**Lolita Romero belongs to **_**my sister**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs to **_**ME**_**!**

**  
Warnings: READ THE TOP PART of this page FIRST! It has vital info on this chapter and future ones!! I think… :D**

Chapter Ten: Let's Ride the Sun!

I woke up to familiar territory. The air was hot and smelled like someone was burning hair or rubber. I felt sore all over from moving and blocking. I felt a few cuts sting with my sweat. I was tempted to fall back to sleep when I heard loud yelling and a roar of agony that sounded way too familiar.

Adrienne.

I forced my eyes to open, finding my eyelids to be really heavy. I blinked a few times, holding the side of my head to find out I had rolled off a mattress that was neatly placed on the floor. I grimaced, holding my head for a second to steady myself as I got to my hands and knees. The yelling was getting louder and it sounded close by…

"You guys are sick!" Lolita was screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Shut up, girl, or you'll be next." Atlas's voice snarled back. Just hearing his voice, I bolted to my feet, ignoring the searing pain that flooded through them. I had lost my boots and the hot jagged rocks didn't feel all that nice on my bare feet.

I went to the large metal door that was left partway open. I was about to open it, but I noticed someone standing in front of it. I immediately recognized him as Epimetheus…

My dad.

He looked entertained by something across the room… My eyes landed on his entertainment and horror shocked every nerve in my body, which made me throw open the door faster than I could speak.

Adrienne was struggling greatly under the weight of black rocks… The sky. She was sweating profoundly, letting out sharp gasps of agony. Epimetheus had whirled around, his eyes locking on me.

"Ritz… You're awake." He deadpanned. I scowled at him, keeping my hand clamped over a wound in my hip.

"I've been awake! What the heck is going on?" I demanded. Epimetheus was going to answer, but Atlas cut him off in a smart-alecky tone that by far beat my dad's or mine.

"You're about to be grounded for life." Atlas retorted, folding his bulky arms over his chest. I glared at him and was about to return a comment, but Epimetheus covered my mouth quickly. I pulled away, wiping my mouth.

"Guh, don't touch me! You better let my friends go before I-"

"Before you what? Kill us?" Epimetheus challenged, glowering down at me. For a second there, I felt really small. Like all he had to do was smack me and my brains would splatter at Adrienne's feet. I kept my mouth shut instead, looking over at my friends, whom were all occupying a very uncomfortable looking cage that was built into the wall.

"You really need to keep track of your girlfriends, brother," Atlas snickered as he fiddled with a ring of keys around a finger, "You have a brat of a child there…"

"Bite me!" I blurted, which earned me another threatening glare from Epimetheus. I cringed in spite of myself. Why was I scared of him? I wasn't scared of him on the phone… It was easier to back talk him when he couldn't see me…

"What're you guys planning to do?!" Nox demanded impatiently as she leaned on one of the bars of the cell.

"It's none of your business." Atlas retorted harshly, gripping the keys in his fist after he twirled them a bit. Epimetheus rolled his eyes, then looked at me sternly. Were dads supposed to be that scary? I was almost afraid he'd kill me on the spot…

"We need to talk." He stated, making a grab for my elbow, but a new voice broke into the room after the slamming of a metal door.

"Tell her now, brother," Prometheus said as he strode across the room, "If you're planning on telling her anything, do it now… Menoetius can't wait. He might as well be the Titan of impatience for all we know."

"I know that…" Epimetheus grumbled, looking more like a pouting five-year-old than an evil Titan. This time, he did grab my arm and haul me into the next room. I stumbled a bit on my bad leg, then caught myself to watch my dad lock up the door. I watched him uneasily.

"Hey, you know, I didn't mean any of the mean things I said before…" I began, but Epimetheus only gave a small laugh. It sounded a bit forced, but it was something to make me stop talking. He turned to me, running a hand through his ponytail as he sighed.

"All right… I think Prometheus gave some things away at that point…"

"Yea… You're trying to bring Menoetius back from Tartarus." I stated with a frown. Epimetheus shrugged as if I had just told him I had a bad day at school as he leaned against the door with his arms folded.

"You wouldn't understand… You don't have any siblings… Or at least I hope not." He added under his breath. I scowled.

"You don't even want me here, do you? You just wanted to get us out of your way because we're going to tell Zeus what your plan is." I responded icily, forgetting about my cuts and clenching my fists. Epimetheus frowned, studying me for a second.

"The original plan was to just bring Menoetius back so our little quad was complete… So Kronos' previous army could be reborn a bit later on… Unfortunately, Prometheus caught on to a little piece of information. He kept saying that I had a kid. I didn't believe him. So, I let him do whatever he wanted. I let him go destroy the elevator in the Empire State Building."

"Nice work." I commented dryly. He shrugged again, pushing off the wall.

"He didn't want the Olympians to know. If they found out I had a kid, they'd use it to destroy Kronos' army. I still didn't believe him, even though he said he saw you at that dinner party back in Chicago. I don't think I even believed it when I was carrying you back to the hotel."

"Same here." I admitted, relaxing only a little bit. Epimetheus gave a smile, but it was short lived as a thought occurred to me.

"I don't get it, though. Percy and I were given a prophecy before we left for Olympus… After that, we weren't allowed in because apparently Prometheus ruined the elevator to prevent me from going to Olympus… I've met Dionysus, Hermes, and Ares. None of them knew who I was… If the Olympians don't know, why would it have mattered?"

"… Who said they didn't know? I'll admit. Ares might not have known because he's the broken light bulb of the bunch, but Dionysus and Hermes are pretty smart… They probably already knew, but decided against saying anything… They probably wanted to see if it was true. This plan really turned into a jumbled mess, to be quite honest… It's hard to keep you from the Olympians when you're traveling with their children."

"Is that why you tried to get rid of them with the manticore? You tried to kill Erato, Alex, and Nox?" I demanded angrily. Epimetheus frowned as he continued to study me.

"Not me. Prometheus. It's like I said before… I didn't even know you existed until only a day or so ago. I didn't believe it until I saw the resemblance."

"Huh?"

"Between you and Cherry, er, your mother." Epimetheus mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed. I shifted uncomfortably too, avoiding his eyes completely.

"Whatever… Look, what if I promised to stop meddling? Will you let my friends go then? Please?" I tried, although, I had a feeling that Epimetheus was going to refuse. He gave me a funny look.

"You get along with them?" He asked. I blinked owlishly at him. What the heck was he talking about?

"Of course, I get along with them! They're my friends!" I cried in disbelief. Epimetheus looked grim again and turned to open the door, but I stomped my foot.

"Hey! You didn't answer my request!"

"I thought it was a question."

"For a Titan, you're pretty dumb." I blurted, then went quiet as Epimetheus stopped messing with the lock on the door. He looked at me sharply.

"Hold your tongue, Ritz. I'm not as smart as Prometheus or Menoetius, I'll grant you that, but I know what I'm doing. I'm a scatter planner. I do things out of order and I do things at the last minute."

"I figured as much." Another death glare landed in my direction.

"I'm not letting those kids go. They're going to convince you to go against me and your uncles." He snapped, then slammed the door shut with a loud locking sound following. I was so angry as I fumed.

"GAAHHHH!!! IT'S MY UNCLES AND _I_!!!" I screamed stupidly.

**xxx**

Anger was still boiling in my blood as I sat fuming on the mattress in the room, listening to my friends yell from their cell outside the room. Being anger was wearing me out, though. It made me sweat even more, so I traded my jacket and _Gorillaz_ t-shirt for a black tank top and a pair of khaki shorts. Why was it so hot?

It wasn't like the place was volcanic…

Just when I thought life was over and not worth living, my door opened and I leapt to my feet, hoping something good would happen, but Prometheus came in instead. I glared at him, wishing I had my sword so I could land a few blows worse than his vulture scratches.

"What do you want?" I demanded coldly. Prometheus gave a weak smile.

"You hate me, don't you? Even after I tried to protect you and help you find your father?"

"Oh, right… Thanks for ruining my life!" I spat sarcastically, kicking the side of the mattress. Prometheus sighed.

"You have Epimetheus's temper…" He mused more to himself. I shuddered at the thought of being compared to my dad. He was just a stubborn… Stubborn… I wanted to swear at him so badly, but couldn't find anything that fit right…

Too much of a variety.

"Why do you want to help the Olympian demigods, Ritz?" Prometheus asked suddenly, as if he were a doctor. I frowned at him over my shoulder.

"They're my friends. Uh-duh."

"But _why_? Titans obviously have a natural hate for the Olympians… I'm surprised neither of you have gutted each other yet."

"Well, I've thought about it with Alex a few times, but that's only because he's a flirtatious little troll." I muttered dryly as I kicked my foot against the rocky floor. Prometheus scanned me up and down slowly, tilting his head as if he were still fascinated. His glasses slipped down his nose before he pushed them back up, a sad smile crossing his face.

"Maybe Epimetheus's fears are correct… Maybe you are turning on us to join the Olympians."

"No! I mean," I paused, glaring at him for tricking me into getting angry again, "I meant… I don't take sides. It's not my thing. If I do that, I'll have enemies at every corner. Ares already wants to fry my butt for being a smart mouth. Not to mention, I have to make promises to my side, which I probably can't keep. And I most certainly can't turn on my friends and the people who actually DIDN'T try to kill me."

"Ahhh, but Ares did, did he not? And what of his daughter, Clarisse?" Prometheus tried, making me twitch with fury.

"He doesn't count! He's the god of war, for Hades' sake! He LOVES fighting and so should his offspring! I'm only thirteen-years-old! I can't choose sides now!"

"… Are you saying that because you are caught between the fear of your father and the bond you have with your friends?" Prometheus mused, watching me carefully behind his wire-rimmed glasses. I blinked, staring at him blankly as I pondered that.

Sure, I was scared of my dad. Who wouldn't be? I mean, he's about six foot five and I'm only five foot one and a half. He's more than a foot taller, just like Prometheus, only my dad… He had a scarier look to him. He looked as tough as Atlas, only without the rippling muscles…His evil radiated almost as strongly as any evil guy, maybe even worse.

"I'm not turning on anyone," I began carefully, "But that doesn't mean I can't interfere. I have only one thing in mind and that's to help my friends. Whether it get my dad in trouble or not. Just because he's an all powerful Titan doesn't mean he has enough power to make me choose left over right."

"If that's how you feel… You seem to be intent on keeping your ideals the way they are… I just hope you know what you're doing." Prometheus sighed, tilting his head a bit as his neck popped. I twitched at the sound, then frowned at him.

"Why do you care what happens to me? I'm just a stupid demigod." I muttered. A smile spread across Prometheus's face.

"I am your uncle. I really don't think it's a good idea for the Titan legacy to die along with its holders, don't you?"

"I guess… If you care so much, why won't you help me let my friends go?"

"I can only do so much before I get irritated myself. It still irks me that you favor the Olympians over your own blood, but I won't try and change your mind any further. I can see now that it's hopeless."

"You're right about that… Now let me out of this room before I cut my own head off."

"With what?" Prometheus challenged my suicide note. I shrugged and held up my hands to show off my black painted fingernails.

"I'll claw my head right off. Now let me out of the room, at least. You can't really think about keeping me cooped up."

"… If you do me a favor."

"Guh, what's that?"

**xxx**

I was sorry I asked… Prometheus made me change out of my torn up and shredded clothes, trading them in for something much fancier and cleaner by far. It really reminded me of the chiton that the Ancient Greeks wore; only he gave me a pair of black leggings to go with. Not my style, but it was a lot better than my dirtied clothes.

Prometheus led me out of the room into the main room, where Adrienne was still struggling greatly. Red began to paint itself onto her face as the pain grew in her body from holding up probably the heaviest thing since Dionysus's big butt…

"Ritz! What are you doing?" Nox asked quickly, grabbing my arm when I went by the cell. I paused, frowning at her before I thought over my words.

"I don't know… I can't really let you guys out right away," I explained, Nox's impatient look making me nervous, "If I do, Atlas will make you guys into dodge balls before we could ever make it to the exit, wherever the heck that is. I need more time…"

"Is it time or are you just trying to suck up to daddy?" Lolita demanded. I shot her a harsh glare, clenching my fists on the cell bars.

"I don't need his approval for anything. When I see the right opportunity, I'll let you guys out. Now just isn't the time." I protested angrily, but she as well as the others looked unconvinced.

"Ritz… Are you sure you're thinking about letting us out?" Erato asked, glancing at Prometheus, who was watching silently from his post by my door. I scowled, pushing back from the bars.

"You guys are just a bunch of impudent little snots! I will let you go, I promise! Even if it gets me killed, I'm letting you guys go! And that goes double for Adrienne!" I snapped, then whirled around to see Adrienne looking at me past her sweat with an unconvinced look. I was tempted to go over there and shove her to the ground, ready to take the weight from her back, but the look Prometheus told me if I did that, my friends wouldn't live to see tomorrow.

"I'll prove it." I muttered, then brushed past Prometheus, who gave me an eerie stare as he followed.

"Where're you going?" He asked sternly, like he was expecting some guy to take me out on a date. Gods, he was more of a father than my father was. At least, in the tone of voice.

"I'm going to find Epimetheus so I can order him to let my friends go!" I snarled at him viciously, shoving him off my side as I went toward the only other door in the room. Prometheus sighed, pushing up his glasses on his nose.

"If you do that, he'll get angrier than he already is. My brother's temper is about as bad as-"

"It's not as bad as mine!"

"If you really think you can confront him by yourself like you did earlier, I wouldn't be surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped as I whirled around to face him. Prometheus studied me closely, his piercing eyes going as far as to lock on my own. I saw his pupil dilate visibly, hiding the bluish colored iris.

"You're as scared of him as any smart person would be… You won't be able to tell your father what to do…" He warned me slowly. I scowled.

"I can try."

"Good luck."

"Thanks." I opened the door and found myself looking at a nice long stream of corridors. I hissed past my teeth and whirled to find Prometheus wearing a very unfitting smile that he was horribly failing to hide.

"I hate you."

"Yes, we covered this."

"If I can't find him, I'll make him find me… Adrienne, your shift is up!" I yelled, shoving past Prometheus, whose expression grew pale and horrified.

"You can't hold that up! Epimetheus-"

"Can bite me!" I finished angrily and approached Adrienne carefully, avoiding her trembling form under the weight. I was hesitant, then reached up, pushing on the black boulders.

"I got it!" I snapped, bumping Adrienne with my hip. She easily collapsed to the floor and that's when I realized I made a big mistake. The weight almost crushed me as soon as Adrienne's help left. My legs felt stiff and achy already as my arms wobbled. I suddenly realized why Atlas tried to trick people to carry his burden!

The sky was so heavy!! That didn't even COVER the feeling of agony that tore up and down my body as I clenched my teeth. My body was already sore from fighting to get up the mountain and not to mention sleeping on a hard mattress!

I heard a loud scream echo in the room and that's when I recognized it as my own. I hadn't realized I was screaming past my clenched teeth until I felt like my throat was dry.

To my immediate relief, Epimetheus did burst into the room with Atlas and the manticore that had attacked my friends and I on the train to Chicago.

"Ritz?!" Epimetheus sounded both furious and surprised at the same time as his eyes locked on me. I quivered under the weight, ducking my head a bit to avoid my neck from craning back to look at my weight. Better not to look at it, I figured…

"Let my friends go…!" I seethed, but it sounded hoarse and ragged. Epimetheus heard me, though, because I could see an angry vein bulge in his forehead as he glared at me. I could practically feel the intensity of rage as his eyes stilled on me. Atlas was looking at me a bit perplexed, but said nothing as the manticore snickered.

"Ritz, if you think for one minute that this little game will make me let your worthless Olympians go…" Epimetheus began, but I screamed to cut him off.

"Guhhhh!!! Let them go, please! I promise to keep an eye on them and make sure they don't destroy any of your plans! I promise! I promise! I swear on the River Styx that I will make sure they don't interfere! Now for gods' sakes let 'em go!" I screamed as sweat trickled to the floor. I also noticed a nice trickle of blood dripping from my fingernails as the boulders crushed them.

Epimetheus was silent for a moment, his eyes wide before he locked his eyes on the manticore, Mr. Callahan.

"What're you standing there for, you ugly little troll?! Take that weight from her! NOW!" Epimetheus roared so loud it almost shook the entire cavern. Mr. Callahan squeaked loudly, but look hesitant steps toward me, like he was afraid to take the weight. I would've run if I were him, except Epimetheus's viciously cold glare was locked on him like a sniper rifle.

Eventually, Atlas gave him a hard shove and he stumbled, catching the weight off my shoulders. Immediately, I slumped beside Adrienne on the ground, breathing hard as I gave up trying to stand.

"You're making a mistake…" Adrienne groaned as she struggled to her hands and knees. I cursed out loud, ignoring Epimetheus's disapproving scowl.

"You are too. By not getting out of here, now scat!" I snapped, shoving her as best I could. Prometheus had already let my other friends out, but they were too stunned to run too.

"Are you guys stupid?! GO!" I shouted at them. That seemed to snap them back to attention. Lolita darted in, helping Adrienne to her feet carefully with Erato's help.

"What about you, Ritz?" Alex asked quickly, his eyes watching me as I struggled to my feet.

"I'll catch up, just get out of here." I whined impatiently, falling back onto my knees as my body quivered. Alex didn't look like he was going to budge one bit. I was right within the next few seconds because he turned to the others.

"Get out while you still can. I'll take Ritz and drag her back!" He commanded, but it sounded like he was really serious. I tried to comprehend why he was doing it, but I had no time as I coughed up some dust that had flown into my lungs. Lolita, Adrienne, Nox, and Erato seemed convinced on leaving and took off toward the free door while Alex darted to help me to my feet. I could hear Mr. Callahan roaring loudly in pain as the Titans glared at him, daring him to move and crush Alex and I.

"So, that's the way you want it, huh?" Epimetheus asked at last, frowning at me. I saw a very dangerous glow in his eyes as Alex held me up against his side. I reflected his expression, nodding.

"Yea… I'm not giving up on my friends, not in a million years. The only reason I'm even tolerating you in the same room with me… Is because I'm not going to lie and say I'm not scared of you when I am." I admitted, shrugging the best I could with sore shoulders.

"You're still a smart mouth… Get out of here before I change my mind and decide to make you stay here…" Epimetheus snapped at me angrily, his bright eyes twinkling in the torches that hung around the room. I forced a smile.

"I see where I get it from." I replied as best I could without freaking out about his angry look as I pushed off Alex's side to take off toward the door. Alex was right at my heels to catch me in case I fell.

The last thing I heard before I slammed the door shut behind me was Epimetheus yelling at me.

"DON'T YOU GO MESSING AROUND WITH BOYS, YOUNG LADY!!!!"

"Did he just say what I thought he said?" Alex asked me as we sprinted down the corridor toward the maze of other halls. I grumbled under my breath, cursing whoever built the hallways.

"Do you think the others got out fine?" I asked, diverting my attention to the empty halls we kept running through. Alex shrugged.

"Probably… If they can do it, we can too!"

"Don't get happy little elf on me because I got some bad news." I muttered. Alex looked at me with a raised eyebrow as we turned another corner.

"What's that?"

"Well… Er, nevermind. Let's just get out of here."

"But-"

"Look, I see light!" I exclaimed, cutting him off and pointing. He looked up as bright sunshine exploded down the hall. Eagerly, we ran toward the light, but totally didn't pay attention to the fact that there was nowhere to stand once we got out there!

The floor completely vanished from beneath us and we hit the rocky surface of the side of the mountain. I would've laughed how it looked like a cartoon and I think Alex would've took, if we hadn't of been tumbling to our death. Within a few seconds, my body slammed into a really hard boulder that was perched some few feet down the side of the mountain. All the oxygen blasted out my lungs and it didn't help that Alex slammed into me.

"Agh… For Hades' sake, Alex…" I whimpered in pain, cringing. Alex groaned himself, pushing himself up around me.

"Sorry… I tried to stop…" He mumbled, scanning my face. I scowled at him, shoving him back a bit as I managed to catch my balance between the boulder and the side of the mountain.

"After this, I'm going to take a long hot bath and sleep for a year." I complained, leaning on the boulder for more support. Alex gave his trademark sly grin.

"If you'd like, I could join you-"

"You know, flirting with me on the side of a cliff isn't smart because I could just, you know, push you to your death." I grumbled. Alex suddenly seemed very interested in trying to get safely back to earth.

"So, how high up do you think we are?" He asked casually. I peered over his arm and let out a long wail of horror and ducked back by the boulder between Alex's arms, shuddering.

"Ohhhh, gods! I couldn't even see the bottom!! Oh gods! Why me?! Why couldn't I have been a good little demigod and hide back at Camp Half-Flood?!"

"Camp Half-Blood." Alex corrected kindly, grinning the entire time. I scowled, then sighed to relax as best I could. I didn't like heights all that well… And falling wasn't a great talent of mine, so there was no way I was going to jump.

"What'd we do?" I asked at last, exasperated as the cool morning wind whipped around us as heavy clouds hung around us, covering up the last of the sunlight. Alex shrugged lightly, then grinned at me again.

"We could free fall-"

"What did I tell you about making comments like that? Do you WANT to end up road kill that fell from a bazillion feet up?" I demanded. Alex got interested in something else now, but this time, it was something useful as the sun began to shine past the clouds.

"Is it just me or is the sun getting closer?" He asked, his eyebrows going up in surprise. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

"You're delusional." I deadpanned. Alex blinked and squinted.

"No, I really think it's getting closer."

"Quit it! You'll go blind if you keep staring at it like that!" I snapped, slamming my fist against his chest uselessly. He took that chance to grin at me.

"You wouldn't want me to blind so I could see you?"

"Your death, maybe!" I snarled, but that's when I noticed the sun really was getting closer! Within seconds, a nice red little car pulled up along side us. I'm not going to lie when I saw the guy sitting in the driver's seat. My heart fluttered as Apollo sat up straight, tossing off a pair of sunglasses as he grinned.

"Hellooo, demigods! Welcome to the Apollo Express. Leaving for Camp Half-Blood in the next five seconds. Need a lift?" He asked with a flirtatious smile. I couldn't stop a smile from crossing my lips as well as a warm blush that definitely wasn't caused by the sun; his car.

Alex looked a little annoyed, but relieved at the same time and dragged me into the back seats to settle in.

"How did you know to come?" I asked, leaning up to watch him start up the car. Apollo grinned lazily as he replaced his sunglasses.

"Easy, my lovely half-blood. I see all and know all. It's what makes my sister jealous." He bragged and we took off. I leaned back in the seat, watching Apollo the entire time. Really, it's not that hard to keep a gnat's attention span on Apollo because he was drop dead sexy.

There. I said it. Apollo was probably the number one most handsome god I've met so far with Hermes taking up second place. Seriously, anyone who'd been with Apollo before has GOT to be lucky.

"And since I know all," Apollo brought up slowly, his tone changing to something more serious, "I also know that you're the daughter of Epimetheus." An eerie silence hung in the car as I shifted uncomfortably.

"I really rather not talk about it, Lord Apollo…" I mumbled. Alex nodded quickly to agree.

"Yea. Let's just save that for another time. She just got done holding up the sky and getting beat up on the side of a mountain." He agreed quickly. Apollo grinned at us in the rearview mirror.

"All righty…. Ahh! I have a haiku for that little adventure and it goes something like-" I didn't get to hear his legendary horrible haiku's for Alex covered my ears, rolling his eyes at Apollo's annoying haiku. However, a grin was still on Alex's face. It was the last thing I saw before I slowly slipped into a comfortably warm sleep on the sun…

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: I lost a lot of inspiration for this, but I got it back when I reread the PJO series again. Mwahaha. xD not to mention, I read other fanfictions to get a clue. OH! Yes, I also got my teacher and friend addicted to the PJO series! MWAHAHA! -laughs evilly very loudly, then coughs and hacks- Anyway… Yes, the PJO cult of the world is growing at an alarmingly awesome rate! :D So, yes… I hope the characters are in character! Thanks for reading and please review (NO FLAMES)! (Sorry if this seemed rushed, by the way! D':)**


	11. Adventure TWO

**Abnormally short, but I had to update before I left! C:**

**DISCLAIMERS: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they belong to **_**Rick Riordan**_**!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**Erato Calliope belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein Storm**_**!**

**Adrienne Larson belongs to **_**broken-once-again**_**!**

**Lolita Romero belongs to **_**my sister**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs to **_**ME**_**!**

**WARNINGS: Yes, there is a time skip in here… Somewhere… -searching-**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter Eleven: Adventure TWO

Within a short while, Apollo landed the car at the bottom of the mountain on Alex's request to see if the others had made it. Wouldn't you know it? They were already down there, looking like they'd been running a marathon. By this time, I was wide-awake and ready with questions.

"How in Hades' name did you get down here?" I demanded, raising an eyebrow as Nox and Lolita googled over Apollo and his nice car.

"We found the exit a while after we heard you guys leaving… Sorry we didn't go back, but you told us to hurry out." Nox replied at last, smiling innocently. I sighed and dropped my head into my hands.

"Hey, thanks for coming back for us, though…" Adrienne pointed out as she sat in the back seat of Apollo's vehicle while Erato dug out some nectar. Alex sighed, draping an arm over my shoulders as he gestured to the sky.

"Ahhh, our horrid nightmare is over~ Now we can go back to camp and rest. Drop into our same routine…" He was moving closer, so I shoved him back and scowled.

"Not now, Alex!" I snapped, making him grin. Apollo was done fixing his glasses, then waved for everyone to hop in.

"I have room! Hop in so we can go back to Camp Half-Blood!" He called, then looked at me as I stood stone still on the side of the road.

"You sure you don't need a lift?" He asked. Everyone stared at me now in complete disbelief.

"Ritz, what's he talking about?!" Nox demanded.

"We can't leave you behind!" Erato agreed. Adrienne frowned at me, probably already knowing long before what my decision was. Lolita scowled.

"She probably just wants to stay around her daddy…" She grumbled as she picked at her fingernail polish. Alex looked at me for a while as I stared back, then shrugged.

"I can't go back to Camp Half-Bad. If I do, things'll get really hard for me. I'll have a lot of enemies because of who my father is. Everyone's bound to find out sooner or later, so it's best for me to just go back home and not come back. As dangerous as it is, it's better than starting a civil war whether I should have an official cabin or not." I explained, stepping back from the car. Apollo nodded understandingly and started the car.

"I hope you know what you're doing…" Alex told me, his grin fading to a concerned expression. I nodded, glancing down the road.

"I know… I just need to walk, clear my head of a few things… I'll see you guys… Whenever…" I mumbled, then Apollo's car took off into the air as a giant ball of flames as I turned to look down the road with a sigh.

I didn't know if I was ever going to see my camp friends anymore. It made me uneasy to think of life without them. I had felt like I'd known them all my entire life, not just a week or so. I paused, then reached into my pocket, and pulled out Apollo's wallet.

Maybe I can stay in San Francisco for a bit longer than I wanted to…

**(Short time skip)**

When you come back from a long hard trip, having to hop on a few buses and a plane to get home and you can't wait to drop into bed… And instead, you walk home to find that your mother is LITERALLY sitting in someone else's lap, well… It kind of makes you wonder how long you were really gone for!

Yes, during my stay at Camp Half-Hooie, my mom had been dating several different guys! I was only gone a couple days and she'd already picked up boyfriends! And this one… He looked like he was here to stay.

His name? His name was Robert Michaels. He was a blonde haired, muddy-eyed, potbelly, sports lover. He made fun of me to my face and mocked my mother behind her back for being too loose with me. He meant because as soon as I got back to school, I was suspended for getting into a fight with some snobby rich girl.

He wanted to hit me with a belt! However, my mother decided against it. Just barely, though! She looked like she was considering it. And I was seriously considering returning to Camp Half-Huts. I could've sworn it had a different name…

Anyway, it was spring now, the next year. My mother thought Robert and I should have a day we spend together. A father/daughter day, which I thought was a load of crap, but Robert only did it because he was a backstabbing suck-up.

We hung out at some baseball game in New York. It was absolutely dreadful! It was more boring than my Geometry class! Robert kept whooping and screaming with the crowds, tossing his popcorn and hot dogs all over the place since his belly stuck out further than Dionysus's!

I think I did make him angry since I was just sitting there with my headphones on. While he was dressed from head to foot in sports clothes, I was wearing a pair of black jeans, a gray Michael Jackson t-shirt, and a leather jacket. Not to mention, I had a hat that read: I DO NOT CARE on the front in bright green, dripping letters. Sort of like the Goosebumps logos are done.

"Kid, you really are a buzz kill," Robert grumbled as he plopped back down in his seat, "Do me a favor, get me a beer and a hot dog."

"I'm fourteen. They're not going to let me get you any beer." I retorted, folding my arms over my chest, wishing my MP3 could go louder.

"Don't give me your lip. Just get up and get it. Here's the cash and my license, now go make yourself useful and get me a hot dog and a beer." Robert insisted, giving me a pouty five-year-old look. I groaned out loud, snatched the money and the card from him, then stomped toward the concession stand.

I hated stupid fat guys like him. When he gets home, I'll bet he'll complain about how fat he is. Well, gee! I wonder why! I scowled as I stood inline, ready to throw the money and see who'd catch it first when a familiar voice saved my suicidal day.

"Ritz!" I looked up to see Alex, Nox, and Erato racing toward me. They all wore very conspicuous deathly bright orange t-shirts that read CAMP HALF-BLOOD.

Ohhh, Camp Half-Blood. I could of sworn it was Camp Half-Bud. Or was that the beer Robert wanted…?

"What're you guys doing at a baseball game dressed like hikers?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at them as my greeting. Nox rolled her eyes, rubbing her temple like she should have expected my flat greeting.

"Nice to see you too." She muttered. Erato flashed me a happy smile.

"Haven't seen you in a while! Nice to see you're still holding up." He pointed out. I shrugged, ignoring how the people in line behind me were shouting.

"No amount of monsters can keep me at bay." I responded, then glanced at Alex, who was studying me closely. I frowned at him, then flicked him in the nose.

"Ow!"

"Sorry, I thought your eyes were falling out." I replied innocently, making him smirk despite his nose turning a light pink.

"Move up already!" A guy behind me yelled.

"You're holding us up!" A woman screamed. I rolled my eyes and stepped out of line, throwing my arms dramatically toward the concession window.

"Go past me, you baseball fanatics!" I snapped, then let my friends lead me to a less populated hall in the stadium. I scowled all the way, annoyed by the people from before in the line, but then I noticed how my friends' faces got grim.

"What's up?" I asked, concerned. Alex paused, then pulled a note out of his pocket, handing it to me after unfolding it.

"This arrived at camp for you. I think… Your dad thought you went back to the camp." He said slowly. I looked at him curiously, then looked down at the note.

_Ritz,_

_As much as I'm sure you want to throw this letter away, please don't. You swore on the River Styx to keep your friends from interfering with our plans to bring your uncle back… However, I need your aid. When you and your friends left, Menoetius crawled out of Tartarus… Our plan worked. I know it's probably not important to you, but it's very vital that Menoetius finds his way back to us. I am asking you to please go to the Underworld and bring your uncle to the address in the corner of this letter. Do this and I will have a reward waiting for you here. I will be sure to send you help if you need it._

_Epimetheus_

P.S You better not still be hanging around that boy…

I frowned, my nails tearing through the letter. I wasn't sure why I was angry. Maybe because he insisted on trying to get me to join him and my uncles in their plan to create a new Titan army against the Olympians? It was hard to tell…

"So… What'd you wanna do?" Erato asked at last, looking at me worriedly. I think he was afraid I might agree to my father's request. Just out of fear or maybe he thought I was thinking of joining the new Titan army. I sighed, crumpling up the letter and shoving it into my pocket.

"Well… It's just one Titan…" I began, but Nox cut me off with her incredulous look.

"Are you kidding me?! You're going to help the Titans?! They're planning to exterminate every Olympian and their offspring! How could you even ponder the thought of helping those -those barbarians?!" She demanded. I paused.

"I'm only in it for the reward. I couldn't possibly care less if it effects the Olympians." I admitted.

"You're unbelievable!" Nox cried, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. Erato watched her for a minute, then looked at me with a grim expression.

"Ritz… What if bringing Menoetius turns out to be a bad thing? What if Rachel's prophecy was right?" He asked. He had a point. Rachel's prophecy turned out to be truer than daylight. I had found out who my father is, which covered the first line. The second, we lost the battle against the Titans. Not to mention, it was pretty much right on the button about me falling off a cliff and getting crushed by Alex… Maybe the last line meant that the three (My dad, Prometheus, and Atlas) would succeed their plot to destroy Olympus…

"I don't really have a choice," I decided at last as I scanned the faces of my friends, "I never promised that I'd stay out of it. He's my dad and despite our differences, I have to at least do this thing for him."

"Guh! Alex, do something! Talk her out of it!" Nox pleaded, looking at Alex, who was very thoughtful. His deep blue eyes seemed to be thinking about smacking me, but then a familiar, long missed grin crossed his face.

"Who's up for visiting the dead?"

****

A/N: This is the last update until I return from my winter retreat. Next update next week. Much apologizes! I hope the characters are in character… Ahh, yes. Another adventure I was much too eager to write. I've got plans for this new one that will far exceed the others! HA. I'm working harder. C: So, yes. Hard working writer, I am. (Since when have I become Yoda? I have no idea…) xD Thanks for reading everyone and please review! (NO FLAMES, PLEASE!)


	12. Ares' Girl

**Abnormally short, but I had to update before I left! C:**

**DISCLAIMERS: I DO NOT OWN:**

**Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they belong to **_**Rick Riordan**_**!**

**Alexander Hixon belongs to **_**Mending the Sky**_**!**

**Erato Calliope belongs to **_**Erato son of Zeus and Athena**_**!**

**Nox Taminama belongs to **_**Ein Storm**_**!**

**Adrienne Larson belongs to **_**broken-once-again**_**!**

**Lolita Romero belongs to **_**my sister**_**!**

**Ritz Knightly belongs to **_**ME**_**!**

**Warnings: Randomness, duh… I think that's it. :D**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter Twelve: Ares' Girl

I stared at Alex's familiar sly grin that could make even Hermes a bit uneasy, but I knew that grin and it made me feel so much better. My chest swelled with excitement as I smirked at him.

"I thought so." I agreed. Nox sighed at last, shaking her head before throwing me a cautious stare.

"We're coming too," She said, meaning her and Erato, "We're still friends, even if this whole quest could get us in serious trouble." Erato shrugged almost uncaringly.

"Didn't our last quest get us in trouble too? I guess we might as well." He replied, his electric blue eyes flickering with the oh so familiar look of excitement. I looked back at Nox and despite her worried expression, her stormy eyes practically screaming 'ADVENTURE' like Flapjack.

"All right. So, all we need to do is-"

"Ritz, what the hell are you doing?" I flinched, then threw a glare over my shoulder at Robert, who was making his way down the little hall toward us with a disgusted look on his face. Alex, Erato, and Nox stiffened beside me, probably already hating the man.

"I met up with some friends from my camp, Robert. It's not like I was plotting world domination." I muttered dryly. Alex snickered, stopping when Nox elbowed him in the ribs. Robert studied us, looking totally irritated like someone had stuck glue in his shampoo bottle or something.

"Whatever… I asked for a beer. Ya gonna keep me waiting?" He demanded. I frowned.

"I'll get you a beer if you do me a favor."

"Now wait a minute-"

"I need to go home. Now. I'll get you a beer if you just do this for me." I tried. Robert glared at me, really mad-like, but he calmed a little after a few seconds and agreed to the deal. Poor Alex, Erato, and Nox had to be dragged along for a beer before we got into Robert's smelly old station wagon. The ride was boring since Robert kept trying to spark up a conversation and I really wanted to hit him for it, but Nox kept looking at me as if to telepathically tell me to calm down. I took a deep breath and relaxed in the passenger seat, trying to stay calm.

Seriously. Why my mother EVER married this jerk was beyond me. I was starting to think my mother was a little bit coo-coo, but then again, I was the daughter of a Titan, so I wasn't in any place to talk when it came to crazy happenings.

Arriving home, I led my trio of friends through my empty house to my room upstairs in our small house that was packed between an office building and an apartment building.

"You've got a LOT of posters." Alex whistled, his eyes scanning the walls. It was true that I was a fanatic about posters, but it started out just as an attempt to hide the ugly gray walls.

"Do you still have your sword?" Nox asked as she sat on my bed while I packed my bag by my closet. I glanced around my room.

"It was here this morning… It might be under the bed." I replied. Nox rolled her eyes, getting to her feet and onto the floor to check.

"Take better care of your weapons, Ritz. It'll come in handy if you ever get attacked here." She pointed out, reaching under the bed. I shrugged and continued packing.

"Oh gods!" Nox yelped and tore her hand out from under my bed. Erato and Alex both jumped at the same time, yelling a loud 'WHAT?!' in unison. I looked up as a rat scampered out from under my bed.

"Hey! That's the rat who kept me up last night." I grumbled, getting to my feet and catching the rat by the tail under my sneaker. Erato cringed.

"Your room is so dirty you have RATS under your bed?" He demanded, looking at me like my mother would if she found out. I looked at him innocently as the rat flailed and squeaked frantically.

"No… Maybe. I didn't know he was under there until last night. Honest." I answered, looking down at the rat now. Nox crinkled her nose, shaking her hand.

"Ugh, I'm not sticking my hand under your bed anymore. I rather stick it in Tartarus." She muttered, wiping her hand off on her jeans now. I smirked while Alex laughed at the incident. I bent down toward the rat, plucking it up by its tail. It squirmed and writhed, squeaking bloody murder. I went out to the little fire escape outside my window, placing it outside before getting ready to turn into my room again, but something caught my eye.

I found myself staring down the street at a familiar man moving toward my house…

"Snap, crackle, pop, Rice Crispies." I muttered and whirled into my room, slamming the window shut.

"All righty! We're taking the bus!" I announced. I got three pairs of weird looks.

"Can't that one guy give us a ride?" Alex asked.

"I rather not take the bus." Nox muttered.

"You look like you saw a ghost, Ritz." Erato commented. I rolled my eyes and hoisted up my bag before thrusting my arm under the bed and easily finding the blade of my sword as it cut into the tip of my finger. I cursed profoundly, then tore my Roman style sword from under the bed, shoving it into the belt around my waist.

"We've got company I really want to avoid." I said at last. Nox looked alarmed, peering past me out the window.

"Who is it?" She asked. I frowned as I went to the door.

"Atlas."

**xxx**

We were out of the house in a flash, heading for the bus station at the corner. Unfortunately, Atlas must have anticipated my move because he met us there with a broad grin on his face.

"Well, well. How are you doing, little niece?" He asked casually, as if we had meant by coincidence. I glared at him.

"You know what I'm doing, so let me do what I need to do so I can come back home and sleep." I responded coldly. Atlas just smirked and it was familiar, probably ran in the family.

"I was just checking to make sure you'd do it. You may be my brother's daughter, but I wouldn't trust you if you were the last little 'demigod' on earth." He replied honestly.

"What a nice uncle." Alex drawled sarcastically, earning a sharp glare from Atlas. I scowled and didn't even realize I grabbed Alex's hand as the bus pulled up to the stop.

"See ya later, Atlas. We've got a quest to attend to." I snapped and dragged Alex after me with Nox and Erato following close behind. The doors shut in Atlas's face, only giving me the satisfaction of an annoyed scowl. I smirked as the bus started moving away from the bulky Titan.

"You know, you can stop holding Alex's hand now." Erato sang, wagging a finger in my face. I blinked, then felt my face grow super hot as I jerked my hand away from Alex, who grinned at me.

"I don't mind." He replied. Nox rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm related to you two." She retorted, heading down the aisle to take a seat. I followed quickly and plopped in a seat behind her, where Alex soon sat as well.

"So, you're smart," I said, leaning on the back of Nox's seat, "Where to next?" Nox frowned thoughtfully, drumming her fingers on her lap.

"Well, the opening to the Underworld is in California, last I remember…" She mused, her eyes studying the ceiling. Erato nodded.

"Yea. All we need to do is take this bus to a train station-"

"No!" Nox and I cried in unison, making Alex wince. Erato raised an eyebrow. He knew as well as we did why trains were like taboo now. You never know when an old coot might magically turn into a manticore and try and eat your face off.

"We don't have enough money for an airplane. So what do you suggest?" Erato asked. I paused, shifting uncomfortably.

"Well… We could try just taking buses…" My voice trailed because I knew we didn't have enough money for that many bus rides. Alex folded his arms on the back of the seat, humming.

"Well. We don't have much of a choice. A train is probably the best thing. I mean, how else could we possibly get a ride?" He asked aloud.

"I can help you." A voice said. We all jumped and whirled to the guy behind Alex and I. His voice was horribly familiar and grotesque. His bulky form was familiar with the slim shades over his fireball eyes.

"What in Hades' name are you doing here?!" I demanded angrily. Ares, the god of war and also my least favorite for being such a bully. Ares let a grin sweep across his face as if he were the sexiest god on the planet, which was so not true.

Everyone knew Apollo and Hermes beat him by far.

"I'm here to make a deal is all," Ares drawled innocently, "Don't act like I'm here to beat you to a bloody pulp." I scowled, but even though I was trying to keep up a brave face, I still felt the twinge of giddy fear in my chest at being around such a bloodthirsty god.

"What sort of deal?" Erato asked, intrigued by the offer. I only groaned. Ares smirked and laid out the buffet of doom.

"I'll get you guys a ride as far west as possible if you guys can get me a little gift to give my girl." He replied. I raised an eyebrow, but remembered whom he was talking about.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Also known as Ares' girlfriend.

"What kind of gift? We don't know what your girlfriend likes." I protested. Ares smirked.

"Usually girls know what other girls like, but…" His voice drifted, leaving me fuming. I wanted so badly to punch those glasses right into his fiery eyes and drive my sword through his-

"Not all girls like the same things," Nox cut in quickly to avoid any fighting, "Can't you give us a hint of what Aphrodite likes?" Ares mulled it over, then shrugged.

"She likes… Pearls." He grinned at us and a sinking feeling tugged my fear right into my gut as realization hit me.

"Pearls?" I asked at last. Alex grimaced, but tried to fake his smile despite the horrible feeling he was probably getting too.

"Doesn't sound so hard… I mean, all we have to do is ask Poseidon to borrow one of his pearls, right?" He asked. Ares grin got a little sinister and it made me sink down in my seat, desperately wishing we had stayed behind with Atlas.

Sometimes, I hated how gods or even Titans weren't allowed to interfere with the battles of their children. It was horrid.

"Oh yea, sure," Ares began, gesturing with his hands as he shrugged, "Getting a prized pearl from Poseidon's lair doesn't sound so hard. Not with it being in the middle of the ocean and none of you having gills."

"So reassuring." I muttered dryly. Ares smirked, then stood up as the bus halted.

"Good. Get me a pearl for my girl and I'll get you a lift toward the west. Meet me at the Empire State Building. Adios and good luck, squirts." He gave us a lazy salute before striding off the bus like he was hot stuff. I let my temper explode as soon as he got off and the bus was moving.

"That-That jerk! I can't believe he just did that! Who does he think he is?!" I fumed.

"The god of war, maybe?" Nox tried. I glared, then sank back in my seat, groaning.

"My least favorite place on the planet." I complained.

"The ocean?" Alex asked, perplexed. I frowned.

"I hate the ocean. Too sandy, too hot, too full of sharks!" I wailed and dropped my head onto my knees.

"It could be worse." Nox pointed out. Erato nodded in agreement.

"We could've run into someone a lot worse than Ares." He agreed. I only grunted in response, squeezing my eyes shut.

So much for an easy delivery quest! Now I'm supposed to _borrow_ a pearl from the sea god, who just so happens to have a bit of a bad temper himself. Why can't gods be sweet and nice?!

**xxx**

We debated on whether we should head straight to ocean for the pearl or stop by Camp Half-Suns –I mean Half-Blood- and pay Percy Jackson a little visit…

The last one won the total votes, so we piled into the camp in a hurry. It looked normal to me with tons of kids training with swords, archery, daggers, and all the likes. We went straight to the Poseidon cabin, where Percy was polishing off his sword.

"PERCY. WE NEED YOU." I said that in a very tight, cold manner because I was still angry at Ares. Percy looked up, startled, his green eyes wide.

"You sound like you wanna kill me. What did I do?" He asked. Nox rolled her eyes, then smiled weakly at Percy.

"We kind of need a big favor, Percy…" She began and explained everything the fishy boy needed to know about our situation. By the end of the tale, he was grimacing like he couldn't help us.

"I don't know, guys… Ares is a real creep. I wouldn't trust him if I were you-"

"Percy, I need your help," I commanded, "I won't take no for an answer. I need the pearl for Ares and his girlfriend. I need a ride to the Underworld and I need to escort my uncle to my dad and his brothers. If I don't do this, not only will I get in a lot of trouble with my dad, but I won't get my reward OR hear the end of it from Atlas. All we need is one pearl anyway! Your dad should be able to get a ton more." Percy sighed, letting his eyes dart across the floor as he pondered what to do. I was getting antsy because the look on Percy's face told me he was reconsidering to tell Chiron.

"Percy, please." I said at last, getting weird looks from Alex, Erato, and Nox. Percy looked up for a while, then sighed again, standing up.

"Might as well." He agreed. I sighed with relief.

"Thank the gods." I muttered.

"I'll need someone to come with me, but only one, because I don't have enough energy to keep us all breathing." Percy pointed out. I glanced at the others; wishing one of them would jump in bravely. Alex looked off into space innocently and I had a feeling he just wanted me to start working more. Nox shrugged, holding up her hands.

"Your quest. You go." She replied. I groaned.

"Guhhh, why me? Fine, fish boy. Let's go." I muttered, snatching Percy by the shirt and dragging him out of the cabin.

"Why don't you want to go in the water?" Percy asked as we moved toward the shoreline by the camp. I grimaced at the sight of it, glancing at Percy.

"Can't stand oceans. I hate sharks and I'm not ready to die from drowning." I muttered. Percy smiled reassuringly.

"It'll be fine. Just hang on so you can breath. What I'm worried about is convincing my dad, so… Since it's your quest…"

"FINE! All right, jeez. You guys are just punishing me because I'm supposedly on the bad side." I muttered. Percy looked at me curiously, his green eyes reflecting the sunset's light.

"Who said you were on the bad side?" He asked. I looked at him.

"My dad. Everyone thinks just because Epimetheus is my dad means that I'm like, pure villainous, when I don't even care. I only do jobs with benefits and it doesn't matter who I do it for." I explained. Percy nodded slowly, looking up toward the water. We stepped up to the water that licked toward our feet. I cringed. Percy glanced at me.

"Just hang on." He ordered. I was reluctant, but I rather get caught hugging fishy boy here than drowning, that's for sure. So, I clung to Percy's arm as we moved into the water. It didn't take too long for the water to cave over our heads. A small bubble of paranoia grew in my chest as I held my breath on instinct, but Percy looked at me with a smile.

"It's fine," He told me as the water pushed itself away from us, "You can breath." I risked gulping and to my surprise, I did gulp in a huge amount of oxygen. It was such a relief too, but I still felt nervous with the water wrapped around us in some kind of air pocket. Percy did most of the swimming and I felt a little guilty for making him go slower by keeping really close to him. He kept swimming for what seemed like forever and I was getting uneasy.

"Percy?" I dared to ask.

"What?"

"When're we gonna get there? Cuz, I don't mean to be a pain in the butt… But I'm getting really nervous." I confessed.

"We're almost there. Don't worry. The water won't hurt you… I'm just afraid of what my dad'll do when you ask him for a pearl." Percy replied honestly, flashing me a weak smile before continuing his swimming. I told myself the same thing after that. Would the sea god crush my face in for asking? He obviously wasn't going to be very nice to me if I told him the whole story. I mean, why would an Olympian let a Titan's daughter have a pearl?

As we waded on, I allowed a back-up plan to form in my head.

**A/N: PHEW! I worked on this for a while. I got inspiration for this fanfiction again from watching the movie, even if it wasn't really like the book at all. It was still really awesome. (Sweet Hades, Luke was drop dead sexy in that movie! O-o) Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I hope the characters are in character. I also hope the little thing with Percy is okay because… I don't have my books with me right now to look at since I'm lending them out to friends, so… Yea, thanks for reading everyone and please review! (No Flames, please)**


	13. IMPORTANTTEMP

**THIS IS ONLY A TEMPORARY UPDATE! I AM REWRITING THIS STORY WITH A NEW NAME AND EVERYTHING. If you would like to join the other story, you may! :) Please be sure to have everything detailed. I have an OC bio on my homepage to help you along. Add everything else from the series as well to help explain! Thank you very much for understanding and I hope you will like the new one as much as the old one!**


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